Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
535. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance the number of companies currently being supported by the Covid restrictions support scheme; the total expenditure on this scheme since its introduction; his plans to extend the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20683/21]
View answerThe 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.
As at 15 April, 22,000 businesses have registered 25,800 premises for CRSS with Revenue. 142,100 claims for CRSS payments of €464.3 million in respect of 24,500 premises have been made to date and €461.0 million of this has been processed for payment.
With regards to the extension of the scheme, in the context of the roll out of the Covid Plan, Covid-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 The Path Ahead, the Government has accepted that public health restrictions will remain in place for some businesses through early spring, so has agreed that it is appropriate that business supports remain in place until at least the end of June 2021.
Motions seeking Dáil approval of the extension of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to 30 June 2021 are scheduled for debate on Thursday 22 April.
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.
