Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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335. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to administrative issues and misclassifications causing a number of businesses to be unable to avail of the increased cost of business grant; if an appeals system will be put in place to ensure those businesses can avail of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9242/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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In total, the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) and Power Up grant schemes have paid out over €400 million to SMEs right across the country. Both schemes are now closed.

In order to get payments to businesses before the end of 2024, the Power Up grant was aligned with the ICOB scheme and a business must have received the second ICOB grant and be in the hospitality, retail or beauty sector in order to receive the Power Up grant.

My Department is aware of issues that have arisen 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.