I am glad to get the opportunity to discuss with the Minister of State the promised appeals process for business grants where businesses were misclassified, including the power up grant. When will this appeals process begin? In the past few days, we have been in contact with our local authority and it has not been informed of any appeals process or it is not sure if it will happen. In addition to those who qualify - retail, hospitality and beauty businesses - other businesses believed they were wrongly excluded from the increased cost of business, ICOB, and power up grants. Garages, body shops and plant hire and repair companies, all if which paid rates, felt they were not included or they did not know about it. That is the other thing. Other businesses in the first category were not aware of the scheme. Can they be considered? The ICOB grant was introduced in March 2024 and people could apply until 29 May. Allegedly, businesses were to receive a once-off grant payment as a contribution towards the rising costs they faced, including the rising costs of rates. Around that time, perhaps during the previous year, Tailte Éireann revalued and reclassified people's properties and significantly increased the rates. In some cases, they were increased by two or three times the amount the business used to pay. While the Government did great work by introducing this business payment as a once-off payment, we are worried about how people will contend with the rates bills they will receive. Those that did not qualify for the ICOB grant did not qualify for the power up grant the following October. As I said to the Minister of State, some businesses were misclassified. It is very important that we try to give these people assurances that they will get paid as soon as possible. That is why I am raising this issue. I believe the Minister of State took a question on the payment on 1 May and stated it was to be brought in very shortly afterwards. I ask the Minister of State to make things clear this morning, because so many people are under financial pressure and do not know what is happening. Many people are under financial pressure that they are not used to or never been under before because of the cost of everything, including materials and supplies, and Brexit is not helping. I ask the Minister of State to provide certainty and to tell me what is happening.

Sentiment score: 0.19

I thank the Minister of State, but I am a bit confused now. First, I thank the Government for bringing in these two schemes. I also thank my local authority and all of the local authorities around the country for the great work they did in delivering those grants to the people involved who had applied. The Minister of State has just said that the local authorities are working through the misclassified applications at the moment but my local authority has said that it has not heard anything about the appeals process and was not made aware of it. I am a bit confused in that regard. The Minister of State also stated that it is not a reopening, but many people did not know about first scheme and did not apply for it as a result. Obviously, they were then not entitled to apply for the second one or did not meet the criteria. I am concerned about that. Is there any way that those people can be accommodated? Some people feel aggrieved that they were not considered in the first place because they were in neither of the three categories that were outlined at the start. Many people are facing fierce financial pressure at the moment. I know the Government is also under tremendous pressure but these people are the backbone of rural communities. Sadly, some of them have departed the scene. Last year, many small companies could not carry on. I wonder whether the grant would have helped them. I am sure it would. Will the Minister of State consider reopening the scheme to accommodate those who have been left out?

Sentiment score: 0.02