AROUND 100 suppliers to government departments will continue to be paid until October, the Finance Minister has said.
Conor Murphy originally announced relief measures for the suppliers back in March, ensuring payments were still made. The companies in receipt ranged from goods and service providers to construction contractors.
"These support measures have provided a vital lifeline to these businesses, enabling cash to continue flowing through the supply chain and helping to pay salaries and protect jobs,” said the finance minister.
"Importantly it also means suppliers unable to meet their contractual obligations will be able to resume service delivery as we begin to emerge from lockdown.”
Aidan Flynn, managing director of building and maintenance firm Maurice Flynn & Sons, said the measures had helped cash flow through supply chains during lockdown.
“My business like everybody else’s business on the 23rd of March stopped. We had to avail of the furlough scheme for 90 per cent our staff – putting the best part of 100 people on furlough.
“Some business decisions needed to be made very quickly, so the relief from the procurement guidance note certainly helped,” he said.
“We were able to get access to the money we were owed very quickly, which enabled us to pay our tier one and tier two supply chains and our suppliers and make the money flow through the chain.”
