Only 25 per cent of businesses register for support packages

JUST over 25 per cent of businesses in South Dublin County have registered for a support package offered by government in the Budget with the deadline imminent.

Grants are available from the €257m package until May 1, but most businesses in Ireland have not registered and the uptake among businesses in Dublin is approximately 25 per cent.

The once-off Increased Cost of Business Scheme will return to businesses half of what they paid in commercial rates during 2023, if they paid up to €10,000.

For businesses that paid between €10,000 and €30,000 in rates, a grant of €5,000 is available.

Businesses with rates above €30,000 are not eligible.

Newly appointed junior enterprise, trade and employment minister Emer Higgins said this week that just 21 per cent of the 17,661 eligible businesses in the Dublin City Council area have registered for the supports.

In the South Dublin County ¬Council area, only 1,438 businesses have registered under the scheme, which is 26 per cent of the 5,530 that are eligible.

In comparison, Fingal County Council has received 26 per cent uptake and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown it was 23 per cent.

Deputy Higgins provided figures in response to parliamentary questions from Fianna Fáil TDs John Lahart and Niamh Smyth.

“I urge all eligible businesses to register for this grant as soon as they receive a letter from their local authority,” said Fine Gael TD Higgins.

“The sooner a business registers, the sooner their details will be verified and the grant will be paid out.”

The grants are available to about 143,000 businesses across the State, or roughly 95 per cent of rateable enterprises, and they have until May 1 to register.