New Irish SME Recovery alliance seeks Covid-19 'compensation fund'

A new business alliance for small firms led by John Moran - who was the secretary general of the Department of Finance during the early of former Finance Minister Michael Noonan - wants the Government to draw up a two year plan and to tap European funds to pump ultra-cheap loans to help SMEs to survive the Covid-19 storm.

File image of business owners surveying mounting bills

Tue, 05 May, 2020 - 17:26

Eamon Quinn

A new business alliance for small firms led by John Moran -- who was the secretary general of the Department of Finance during the early of former Finance Minister Michael Noonan -- wants the Government to draw up a two year plan and to tap European funds to pump ultra-cheap loans to help SMEs to survive the Covid-19 storm.

The SME Recovery group includes Isme chief executive Neil McDonnell, Retail Excellence chief executive David Fitzsimons and Restaurants Association of Ireland chief Adrian Cummins, who have repeatedly warned since March about the future of the 1 million people employed by SMEs in the absence of a co-ordinated plan.