Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
142. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans being put in place in the form of a job retention scheme to assist SMEs to take on long-term employees and to encourage persons to return to work post Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14001/21]
View answerI am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses and employment right across the country.
The Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates. Details of the wide range of supports available are on my Department’s website: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)
Budget 2021 provided 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 Employment Wage Support Scheme was announced as part of Budget 2021 to assist employers in keeping their staff on the payroll. This economy-wide support provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers.
The level of support now being provided to businesses across all sectors is unprecedented and ahead of that available in other jurisdictions. Our focus is to ensure the safety of our people and guide our economy towards recovery by ensuring that we had an appropriate mix of supports in place to support workers and businesses in moving between the levels of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19.
I will continue to work with my colleagues to monitor the schemes of our Departments and to identify practical actions to protect jobs, help businesses and build their resilience through this unprecedented time. My colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister for Social Protection may be able to assist you further in relation to job retention schemes.
