This afternoon Ministers Pascal Donohue and Michael McGrath announced the details for Budget 2022. In the main this budget, that has been dubbed by some the first non emergency budget since 2019 was piecemeal for many small businesses.

The cost of doing business is getting ever more prohibitive for small businesses, with previously announced policies such as the right to request remote work, statutory sick pay, pension auto enrolment and including todays budget announcement of a 30 cent increase in the National Minimum Wage. Small businesses are the forefront of job creation and economic activity in Ireland and are facing ever increasing costs, that will make it harder to retain and expand jobs.

While most of this budget was underwhelming there are some points of light such as the expansion of the EIIS, the increase if the self employed tax credit and the extension of the EWSS on a phased basis into 2022.

There has been some increases in funding to apprenticeships and training schemes which will help some small businesses to upskill and retain their talent.

You can read more about Budget 2022  here and read the SFA response here.