Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

This is a similar question to the previous one. It is important. We are trying to work with family businesses across the country. We brought in the SME package in the first weeks after I was appointed by the new Taoiseach. We are focusing on trying to lower the cost base for so many family businesses. We have brought in initiatives, such as ensuring they have support through energy-efficiency grants and digital grants, reflecting the ambition in the White Paper on enterprise. We are assisting on sustainability and going digital and trying to get to 90% digital intensity by 2030. This is to build new revenue streams for small family businesses.

We have looked at PRSI for lower-paid workers. The study done between our Department and the Department of Social Protection pointed to vulnerability in hospitality and retail. Obviously, 75% of minimum-wage workers are in those sectors. Those companies, the family businesses, need support in employing so many workers in that sector. That is why we have had our second round of the increased cost of business fund. I hope we will get approval today from the Department of public expenditure for the power up grant and will then be able to progress with that €4,000 payment to all businesses in both those sectors before Christmas. That would be very important to them.

There is also the national enterprise hub, which will point people to the approximately 280 supports across 23 Departments and agencies.

There will also be someone on the other end of the phone because I know that for small family businesses time is the most precious resource and we want to assist them in any way we can. I as Minister, along with my colleagues, do not want to see any business suffer or go into liquidation without being able to pick up the phone to get supports from the Department. They are available. Whether a business is a client of an LEO or Enterprise Ireland, we are here to help to ensure it can trade successfully into the future. It is a challenge. I appreciate that, from meeting so many businesses and their sectoral representatives, but working together, we can achieve a lot with the supports that are in place and the new supports that will come together in the context of budget 2025.

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