Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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446. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to confirm when an appeals system for the power-up scheme will be established with businesses able to lodge appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1540/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Following an extension to the original deadline, the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme closed on 29th May 2024. The Power Up grant closed on 22nd November 2024 also following an extension to the original deadline. In total, over €400 million was paid out to small businesses under these schemes in 2024.

In order to get payments to businesses before the end of 2024, the Power Up grant was aligned with the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme. In order to have been eligible for the Power Up grant a business must be in the retail, hospitality and beauty sectors and must have categorised themselves as being in one of those sectors and received a second ICOB payment.

My Department is aware of issues that arose during the registration period, in particular, in relation to businesses that were ineligible for the grant due to incorrect classification of their business type while registering for ICOB. The Department is currently reviewing the issues that have arisen and will consider next steps in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the local authorities.