2 February 2016
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Fine Gael TD for Cork South West, Jim Daly, has said that the Government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the €5 million fund for small businesses to include those businesses not subject to commercial rates.
Jim Daly TD is based in Clonakilty and also has a Constituency office in Bandon (pictured)
“The Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney TD, has announced an expansion of the eligibility criteria for the €5 million fund for small businesses, to allow non-rateable businesses to benefit from it. This is very welcome news for those businesses that had been unable to benefit from the scheme up to now.
“Following the bad flood in Bandon on the night of December 5th, I had a meeting with the Taoiseach in Government buildings two days later, (the Monday after the weekend’s flood). This meeting came in advance of the Cabinet meeting the following morning which approved the much needed compensation scheme for businesses.
“This humanitarian relief scheme which is being administered by the Irish Red Cross, was designed to be light on bureaucracy from the beginning in order to ensure we could get payments out to flood affected businesses as quickly as possible. In order to get the payments out efficiently, local Authorities could vouch for businesses subject to commercial rates.
The constituency office of West Cork Government TD Jim Daly was one of the many affected by floods in Bandon, Co Cork in December 2015
“Unfortunately this meant that a number of businesses not subject to commercial rates were left out of the loop and they did not qualify for the €5 million Irish Red Cross emergency funding. I have dealt with many of these businesses in Bandon, which has been flooded twice, as well as across the rest of Cork.
“I am delighted that Minister Coveney has now confirmed that in the case of businesses which are not in a premises subject to commercial rates, the applicant can supply a tax clearance certificate to the Irish Red Cross, or where this is not available, recent correspondence from Revenue showing a tax registration number.
“The Minister has also extended the closing date for acceptance of completed application forms to February 21st. Cork businesses affected by the flooding should get their applications in by then and they can contact my office if they need assistance with their applications.”
