Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2020
111. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is considering reopening the restart grants to new applications that would include businesses that may not have qualified under the previous criteria. [43718/20]
View answerThe Restart Grant Plus Scheme, which closed to new application on 31st October, was only one part of the wider range of schemes available to firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs.
The new Revenue Commissioners’ Covid Restrictions Support Scheme, or ‘CRSS’, effectively replaced the Restart Grant Plus as part of Budget 2021. The CRSS offers a targeted, timely and temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels due to COVID- 19 of up to €5,000 per week. Accordingly, there are currently no plans to reopen the Restart Grant Plus Scheme to further applications.
The level of assistance now being provided to businesses across all sectors is unprecedented and ahead of that available in other jurisdictions, and we have sought to ensure that we had an appropriate mix of measures in place to support workers and businesses, so businesses can reopen and restore employment as we suppress the COVID-19 virus.
A regularly updated list of enterprise measures for businesses is available on my Department’s website.
