Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2020
297. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the value of applications, loans or grants approved under the Covid-19 working capital scheme, the credit guarantee scheme, the Covid-19 loan through Microfinance Ireland and the €250 million restart grant for small businesses since 23 March 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10258/20]
View answerGovernment has agreed a new €2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme as a further development of the existing Credit Guarantee Scheme already available. This Scheme forms a major component of the government’s strategy to aid SMEs in these difficult times by providing critical support to ensure businesses are facilitated in having access to credit facilities to assist a return to a more regular trading environment. It will provide an 80% guarantee on lending to SMEs until the end of this year, for terms between 3 months and 6 years. The guarantee will be able to be used for a wide range of lending products between €10,000 and €1 million that have a maximum term of 6 years or less.
The Scheme will be available to all SME sectors, including primary producers. It will also have interest rates below current market rates. The implementation of this Scheme will require primary legislation, the drafting of which has commenced.
There are a number of liquidity supports for COVID 19 impacted businesses available now, including the existing Credit Guarantee Scheme which was implemented in 2012, supporting loans up to €1 million for periods of up to 7 years. The scheme is designed to support a range of debt products appropriate to the borrowing needs of SMEs. An application to access the Credit Guarantee Scheme can be made through one of the participating lenders which are currently Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank Ireland.
The SBCI Covid-19 Working Capital Scheme is offered by my Department in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and is supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee facility. The scheme is operated by the SBCI, through participating finance providers. Loans range from €25,000 up to €1.5 million (first €500,000 unsecured) with a maximum interest rate of 4% for up to three years.
This scheme is now being expanded to make available significant additional lending under the scheme. The scheme is available to eligible businesses that have been negatively affected by impacts arising from the outbreak of Covid-19 to enable those businesses to innovate, change or adapt in response to the current business environment.
Microenterprises can access COVID-19 Business Loans of up to €50,000 from Microfinance Ireland. The terms include a six months interest free and repayment free moratorium, with the loan to then be repaid over the remaining 30 months of the 36-month loan period. Loans are available at an interest rate of between 4.5% and 5.5%. Businesses can apply through their Local Enterprise Office or directly to Microfinance Ireland.
Details on the uptake of the various supports as of Friday 5th June is available at: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Take-up-of-DBEI-COVID-19-Business-Supports.pdf.
