Coronavirus: Ex-minister urges action as NI businesses continue wait for £25,000 grants

It is designed to help about 4,000 retail, hospitality and leisure firms in Northern Ireland by providing grants of that value to each business in those sectors.

But whilst the government’s £10,000 small business grant programme has been paying out since last week, the similar £25,000 scheme appears not to have got off the ground.

It was announced exactly three weeks ago tomorrow by chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Applications are already open to businesses in Wales, and in via some councils in England.

Last week the Department for the Economy said officials were “working hard” to launch the scheme.

This government-run website – www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk – says only that details about how to access the grant “will be published as soon as it is available”.

Mr Hamilton said: “I think there’s an understanding that making the announcement and getting them up and running can take some time.

“But time is of the essence [given] the cash flow problems of businesses.

“I think the quicker that support can get out there, the better.”

When it comes to looking ahead to the aftermath of this crisis, he said: “There’s no doubt that on the far side of all of this, society – and that includes the economy – are going to facing a very different set of circumstances.

“I think that will require equally a collective effort right across politics, across business, across society, to grapple with the fallout of all of this.”

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