Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 February 2021
2. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the business supports available to assist hairdressing businesses currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10710/21]
View answerBudget 2021 overall provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build resilience and help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. We are providing more and cheaper loan finance through MicroFinance Ireland, SBCI and the Credit Guarantee Scheme. Changes were made to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the EWSS, increasing the top rate to €350 for those who were earning in excess of €400 per week. We have extended the EWSS to the end of June which will continue to benefit many businesses and employees in the hairdressing and barbering sectors.
My colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister for Social Protection announced the doubling of the PUP threshold to €960 over an eight-week period. This will help people to restart their businesses when it is safe to do so and allow self-employed people to take on intermittent jobs.
We have introduced a reduction in the 13.5% VAT rate to 9% until the end of 2021 which will benefit the hairdressing sector, together with a range of additional public capital investment measures to support the domestic economy.
The Revenue Commissioners' COVID Restrictions Support Scheme offers a temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels by up to €5,000 per week. This will be of benefit to hairdressing businesses and the Government has extended this scheme to the end of June for impacted businesses.
We are committed to helping businesses respond to the economic challenges arising from the pandemic with a particular focus on firms that do not qualify for the weekly CRSS grant from the Revenue Commissioners or existing sectoral schemes in areas such as the arts, transport and tourism.
I will continue to work with my colleagues to identify practical actions and to monitor supports available to assist businesses.
