James Browne
Question:213. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the review of an application by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43291/20]
View answerTuesday, 15 December 2020
Questions (213)
Written answers
The Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (2) Act 2020 (Act No. 8 of 2020) inserted section 28B into the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. This provides for the introduction of the Employment Wage Subsidy scheme (EWSS). The Deputy will be aware that EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support that focuses primarily on business eligibility. The scheme provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer’s payroll and gross pay to employees.
- To qualify for the EWSS, as well as having tax clearance, an employer must be able to show that:
- the business will experience a 30% reduction in turnover or customer orders between 1 July and 31 December 2020, and
- Covid-19 is the cause of this disruption.
I am advised by Revenue that the turnover test is capable of being applied in the case of the business concerned. It appears from submissions made to Revenue by the business concerned that a reduction of 30% in ‘turnover’ or ‘customer orders’ between 01 July and 31 December 2020 (compared to the same period in 2019) is not expected and the eligibility criteria for the scheme will not be met and the company is, therefore, not eligible for the scheme.
For those who may not be eligible for the EWSS, I would draw attention to the comprehensive package of other business and employer supports that have been made available since the July Stimulus Plan and Budget 2021 - including the Covid Restriction Support Scheme (CRSS), the Credit Guarantee Scheme, the SBCI Working Capital Scheme, Sustaining Enterprise Fund, and the Covid-19 Business Loans Scheme.