Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath calls for a review of the Power-Up business grant scheme
Mattie McGrath TD asked Minister of State for Small Business and Retail & Circular Economy, Alan Dillon, for a review of the scheme during a Dáil sitting today
Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath has asked for a reform of the Power-Up grant scheme for businesses.
The TD raised the issue with the Minister of State for Small Business and Retail & Circular Economy, Alan Dillon.
In a Dáil sitting today Mattie McGrath TD said: “The Power-Up grant was introduced following budget 2025, in an apparent replacement for government refusal to reduce the VAT rates. However, the criteria that your department has handed down to local authorities for this grant has been unworkable and unfair and leaves many businesses locked out of the scheme, it's ironic that the name of the scheme is called Power-Up when so many businesses are struggling to keep power on, pardon the pun.”
McGrath asked Minister Dillon if he could make some changes to the grant application process.
"Simple issues like the classification of business at the application stage could and should have been changed by now. The first name for this grant scheme was called the Increased Cost of Business grant scheme or the ICOB grant and when issues arose with that the department should have been addressed before the second scheme ICOB2 grant and now the Power-Up scheme has been rolled out. Why Minister won’t you simplify these business grant schemes? I do welcome them but they need to be able to be accessed by the business people who are struggling and many are locked out of them.
"For example some post offices in my constituency have got three rounds of business support grants while others have been excluded from getting them, purely because of misleading information on the application forms. The department has not reopened the portal to allow businesses to reclassify their business correctly and avail of the grants. It's totally unfair."
Minister Alan Dillon responded to the Tipperary TD's queries saying: “The programme for government makes several important commitments to improving the business environment that includes a VAT reduction and adjustments to PRSI.
"Last year government introduced two business support schemes designed by my department and administered by local authorities. The increased cost to business scheme was launched back in march of 2024. It has been of enormous benefit. A flat rate of 4,000 euros has been an enormous cash injection to many of these businesses.
"It does alleviate some of the pressure while not all of it. We paid out nearly 400 million euro in 2024 to businesses most affected. I’ll take the issues you’ve raised in relation to businesses who registered for the Power-Up grant.
"Where businesses can’t amend that information that needs to be rectified and I’ll review this."