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Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020

Thursday, 30 July 2020

Questions (100)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

100. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the July stimulus package has no grant or support schemes for affected self-employed and-or sole traders in view of the fact that other European countries have delivered grants for same. [19802/20]

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Written answers

The July Stimulus package saw the announcement of an additional €7 billion of supports on top of the €12 billion already committed. These supports are wide ranging and it is inaccurate to say that no grant or support schemes are available for self-employed individuals or sole traders.

Businesses trading as either sole traders or operated by self-employed persons can access many of the liquidity supports offered across Government including Micro Finance Ireland loans, the Credit Guarantee Scheme and a variety of mentoring and other soft supports available through the Local Enterprise Offices.

Additionally, in terms of direct grants to the business, the Restart Grant is available for those self-employed persons or sole traders who trade from rateable premises and the Enterprise Support Grant administered by the Department of Employment and Social Protection may be available to those who do not trade from rateable premises.

Many businesses operated by self-employed individuals and sole traders employ people and these businesses can avail of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and its successor the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which provides a direct grant to the business which will help support the employment costs incurred by the business. These are vital supports which will assist the business continue to trade through these challenging times.

If the Deputy is referring to direct income supports, it should be noted that the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to those self-employed individuals whose businesses were forced to close as a result of the pandemic. 

Businesses operating under these structures are also entitled to tax deferrals which can have the effect of injecting substantial liquidity into these businesses.  Importantly, the July Stimulus also saw my colleague the Minister for Finance announce additional personal taxation measures which will enable self-employed persons who have suffered losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 to obtain early recognition of those losses, thereby providing additional liquidity for those individuals.

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