To ask the Minister for the Economy how her Department decided on a cap of £100,000 for applications to the Enhanced Flood Support Scheme.

The level of support offered by the EFSS was the most generous on these islands. In England, Scotland and Wales the equivalent support offered to flooded businesses was between £2,500 and £5,000. The £100,000 cap is similar to the Irish Government's Enhanced Emergency Business Flood Relief Scheme which offered support of up to €100,000 for eligible businesses. However, that scheme was more restrictive in comparison to the EFSS in that it was only available to businesses with up to 20 employees whereas the EFSS was open to businesses with less than 250 employees.