Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
458. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the supports in place for businesses in the events industry which are facing an uncertain future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11511/20]
View answerI and my Department officials are continuously working and responding to business needs, ensuring sufficient and tangible supports are being put into place as quickly as possible to assist all our SMEs across the country, in all sectors, including those businesses who operate in the events industry.
Supporting the promotion and sustainability of our SMEs has always been a high priority of mine. The current crisis reminds us of the importance of this objective amid the challenging circumstances which have been thrust upon our small business sector by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to assist businesses to address the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Government has put in place a comprehensive suite of supports which can be accessed by firms of all sizes, and across all industries, including those in the events industry, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities. These supports are designed to build confidence, to further assist businesses in terms of the management of their companies and to allow them to begin looking to the future and start charting a path forward for the weeks and months ahead. For a full list of supports for business please see my Department's website at www.dbei.gov.ie.
In addition, my Department is currently operating a Business Support Call Centre to advise on the Government supports available to businesses and enterprises that are affected by COVID-19. The number to contact is 01 631 2002.
Please be assured that my Department and I will continue to engage extensively across Government and with business representative bodies and all other relevant stakeholders, with a view to ensuring an appropriate response to the COVID-19 pandemic that will protect and support Irish businesses across all sectors.
The Deputy will also be aware that my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has responsibility for initiatives specific to the tourism sector and events and festivals, which of course is of significant importance to the events industry. In addition, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has established a Tourism Recovery Taskforce to examine bespoke supports for that sector.
