Business Supports
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-28
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Alan Dillon (FG), Mayo

I thank the Deputy for her question. The Government understands the pressures that rising fuel and energy costs are placing on small and medium enterprises, SMEs. These are not abstract figures. These are family businesses, local employers and community anchors in every town and village across our country. That is why the Government has acted quickly, decisively and in a targeted way. In March and April, we introduced a substantial package of fuel supports to the tune of €750 million to cushion businesses against the current fuel shocks. These include VAT inclusive reductions of up to 32 cent on diesel, 27 cent on petrol and 7.4 cent on green diesel, alongside a reduction in the NORA levy and the deferral of planned carbon tax increases until budget time. This is immediate, real relief at the pumps for businesses that cannot pass these costs on.
However, we did not stop there. We also strengthened sector-specific supports where fuel is a non-negotiable input. These include an increase in the diesel rebate scheme, rising to 12 cent per litre; a new road transporter's support scheme for haulage and coach operators; and €100 million for a fuel subsidy support scheme for our farmers, contractors and fishers during peak fuel use months. These are targeted interventions. At the same time, we are backing SMEs to reduce their dependency on volatile fuel markets through SEAI grants, energy audits, business energy upgrades and supports for microgeneration. Firms are being helped to permanently reduce their operating costs.
We are also ensuring access to finance through the growth and sustainability loan scheme, offering long-term, low-cost loans of up to €3 million. Finally, we are also tackling cost pressures structurally through the action plan on competitiveness and productivity and the cost of doing business advisory forum.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:52+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-28