Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
85. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work being carried out by his Department during the current level 5 restrictions to better equip sectors under his guidance to be resilient in the face of any future resurgence of Covid-19 cases in order that they can remain open safely in the face of a step-up in restrictions on social interaction. [34555/20]
View answerMy Department has put enterprise measures in place for businesses that require finance as they develop a response to their exposure to impacts arising from COVID-19. The uptake of these supports has been robust and indicates that businesses are taking action in response to this period of disruption.
Budget 2021 provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. The measures in the Budget are in addition to those announced in the July Stimulus, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), cash for businesses, low cost loans, commercial rates waivers and deferred tax liabilities.
Digitalisation of the retail sector is an important policy agenda of my Department and the pandemic has accelerated the drive to digitalisation. The Government has helped thousands of businesses, through the Trading Online Voucher Scheme of €2,500 (9,919 companies supported across all sectors) and the Online Retail Scheme which provides grants of up to €40,000 to get online.
Trading online has been a lifeline during the pandemic and is a very important route for businesses to grow and improve their business and will be an important element in their recovery over the longer term. While under Level 5 COVID-19 restrictions people cannot physically enter certain stores, they can continue to buy from them through ‘remote ordering’. Customers can place orders online or over the phone, and fulfil those orders for all products including non-essential items, by online or by phone, for home delivery and for collection.
The new €5.5m COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme launched as part of the July Stimulus supports indigenous Irish retailers to sustain their business by strengthening their online offering, increasing their customer base, and building a more resilient business in the domestic and global marketplace both online and offline. As part of the first call for proposals under the COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme announced in July 2020, 185 companies were supported. Yesterday, Minister English announced that 145 retailers had been approved under the second call.
The NSAI’s COVID-19 Workplace Protection and Improvement Guide, COVID-19 Retail Protection and Improvement Guide, and COVID-19 Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection Guide have been updated to take into account current level 5. They consolidate practical guidance available at time of writing on how to manage business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing risks to both workers and the public, and guidance on how businesses can continue to trade in a manner that is safe for both employees and the public.
As the Deputy may be aware, intense work is underway on the development of the National Economic Plan. My Department is leading with other colleagues on the creation of an economic framework for the next five years to drive economic recovery. It will include measures to increase the resilience of businesses in the face of challenges such as Covid-19. This will include, for example,
- Increasing adaptability and productivity in our SMEs - a National SME Taskforce is currently working on the development of a National SME Growth Plan to be published by year end;
- Supporting the move to remote working and accelerated digitalisation - a Remote Working strategy to be published by my Department shortly;
In addition, work is currently being finalised on an updated Return to Work Safely Protocol. It is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace when the economy is re-opening. All workplaces should comply fully with the Covid-19 related public health measures.
