ICMSA note reports of ‘one-off’ support for small to medium-sized businesses – ‘naturally’ assume farmers included.

 Commenting on reports that tomorrow’s Budget will include a once-off payment to small and medium-sized businesses to help with rising costs, the President of ICMSA, Pat McCormack, said that ‘naturally’ his Association expected farmers to be included in any such arrangement.   Mr. McCormack said that his farmer-members were – and continue to be – the original small and medium-sized business sector in most areas of the state and their exclusion from any such provision would make the exercise meaningless.

“ICMSA notes the reports and welcomes the suggestion that help would be extended to a very hard-pressed sector.   We will, naturally, assume that farms – who are the very definition of small and medium-sized businesses – will be included in any such scheme.   We have heard all the usual protestations from our politicians about their commitment to supporting our farming sector, protestations that fly in the record of what they have actually done, I might add.    Well, here’s a chance for the Government to actually show that they grasp the fact that the small to medium-sized businesses in Ireland outside the cities and bigger towns really means our farms.   Let’s just see if they understand that and don’t tie themselves up in knots looking for a definition of small to medium-sized businesses that excludes the most obvious component in that economic sector”, said Mr. McCormack.

Ends     9 October 2023

Pat McCormack, 087-7608958

President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office