Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The deadline for businesses to apply for the increased cost of business grant expires on 1 May, which is in less than seven days. Small businesses such as shops, hairdressers, pubs and cafés can apply to have 50% of their rates bill returned to them. For example, a business with a rates bill of €8,000 in 2023 can get a grant of €4,000 or 50% of the rates bill. For businesses with a rates bill of between €10,000 and €30,000, the maximum grant is the lesser of 50% or €5,000. That amounts to a good grant. The uptake of this grant among businesses is very concerning, however. I understand approximately 130,000 businesses are entitled to apply for the grant but that to date, only 30,000 have applied. This clearly illustrates that we have a problem in that businesses are not aware of the grant. With the deadline for applying now less than seven days away, I propose that the Leader, on behalf of the Seanad, write to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, asking that he extend the deadline for another three or four weeks to facilitate greater awareness of the scheme and to allow time for local authorities to contact businesses to alert them to this grant.I have been in business for the best part of 20 years and people are so busy doing the day to day and keeping the ship afloat that they do not get time to know what is going on around them. I would be grateful if we could write to the Minister and take the common-sense approach of extending this deadline for another three or four weeks so businesses trying to keep the ship afloat will have more time to apply for this grant.