Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
414. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the criteria for the business restart scheme will be amended to include charity shops which are precluded (details supplied). [9133/20]
View answerThe Restart Grant is aimed at commercial business. We have sought to prioritise commercial entities that are totally dependent on their trading income which in turn creates paid employment locally and will drive economic activity and get money circulating. Within our limited funding, the aim is to get these businesses back up and running, trading as normally as possible so that they can retain employees who will no longer need a temporary wage subsidy or be able to take back workers who are on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
The €250m Restart Grant is just one of a range of supports provided by the Government to support businesses, employers and employees on foot of the crisis.
My colleagues Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development and Seán Canney TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development, on Friday, 8th May announced the launch of a €40 million package of supports specifically for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises. The package consists of:
- A €35 million ‘COVID-19 Stability Fund’ which will provide a level of support to qualifying organisations who are most in need and have seen their trading and/or fundraising income drop significantly during the crisis; and
- A €5m Government commitment to a Philanthropy Fund, (Innovate Together) which will focus on supporting responses to the COVID-19 crisis that require innovative and adaptive solutions to existing and emerging challenges.
The Stability Fund is being administered by Pobal. The Government will continue to support the needs of different sectors with well tailored and targeted initiatives.
