Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
451. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason sports clubs cannot apply for the restart grant even though they pay commercial rates like other businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8822/20]
View answerOn Friday, 15 May, 2020 the Government announced details of the new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers.
The Restart Grant support is just one part of the wider €12bn package of supports for commercial firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help those businesses to continue trading and to maintain employment.
To avail of the Restart Grant, applicants must be a commercial business and be in the Local Authorities’ Commercial Rates Payment System, and:
- have a turnover of less than €5m and have 50 or less employees.
- have suffered a projected 25%+ loss in revenue from 1 April 2020 to 30th June 2020.
- commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed.
- declare the intention to retain employees that are benefitting from the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
The primary objective, therefore, is to get funding into small businesses that:
- Are reliant solely on local trading income;
- Are financially independent from any group structure;
- Have suffered significant financial losses;
- Have had to bear ongoing fixed costs or faced costs associated with re- opening the business;
- Provide local paid employment.
In that context, sporting organisations are not eligible because they are not primarily commercial organisations and have sources of income other than commercial sales.
