Practitioners and business people have been warned to be on the look-out for a fake email, purporting to be from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and sent out several times today.

The scam email is headed ‘Business Restart Grant’ and promises a 30% top-up to business payments.

The email also contains an ‘official’ Irish harp, and requests that a form be filled in online.

If the email passes through firms’ firewall, it should be deleted immediately, without clicking, and IT departments informed.

In a statement just before six pm, the Department said it had come to its attention that a fraudulent email is in circulation inviting applications for the Restart Grant Plus.

"Under no circumstances should anyone provide personal or bank details to the bogus email address.

"The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation would like to point out that applications for the Restart Grant Plus can be made through the applicant’s relevant Local Authority," the statement said.