Willie O'Dea
Question:62. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance the number of companies in Limerick currently availing of the Covid restrictions support scheme. [17139/21]
View answerWednesday, 31 March 2021
Questions (62, 68)
Willie O'Dea
Question:68. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance if any companies have left the Covid restrictions support scheme over the past month. [17140/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 68 together.
The legislative basis for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) is provided by Section 11 of the Finance Act 2020 and is available to companies, self-employed individuals and partnerships who carry on a trade or trading activities the profits of which are chargeable to tax under Case 1 of Schedule D.
A qualifying business must operate from a premises located in a region that is subject to restrictions introduced in line with the Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan and must be required to either prohibit or significantly restrict customers access (to the premises) to purchase goods or services. Also, for the period of restrictions, the turnover of the business must not exceed 25% of its average weekly turnover in 2019 (2020 in the case of a new business). For the purposes of the scheme, a business premises is defined as a building or other similar fixed physical structure from which a business activity is ordinarily carried on.
The most common reasons for businesses leaving the scheme include circumstances where they no longer meet the turnover test due to changes in trading operations, for example moving to an online or takeaway service, or where they opt not to renew lease agreements on their premises. During March (to date), eleven businesses deregistered from the CRSS.
Revenue has also confirmed that 21,600 businesses had registered for the CRSS in respect of 23,900 premises by 25 March 2021 and almost €407 million had been paid to date. Of these, 640 businesses are located in Limerick and have received over €14 million in payments since the scheme commenced.
Revenue has published detailed statistics on the main COVID-19 subsidy schemes since late March 2020, including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS). These statistics are available on the Revenue website and are updated on a weekly basis.