Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
63. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if urgent consideration will be given to the requests of a federation (details supplied) for specific supports for a sector in view of its importance for employment in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16987/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs stated in the Programme for Government, we will bring forward a Jobs Stimulus very shortly to boost our economy and help to maintain and restore employment. It will be of a scale to meet the challenge. Helping our SMEs is central to this, given their pivotal role in the economy and employment. This July Stimulus will extend, enhance and add to the existing actions for COVID-19 impacted businesses already announced.
In that regard, the effectiveness of the Restart Grant which was launched on 22 May 2020 and has proven to be a critically important tool to support small businesses to reopen their doors and get back on their feet, is being reviewed and that assessment will input into the Government's considerations for the soon to be announced Stimulus package.
Indeed, all supports are currently being reviewed and assistance in the form of grants, including in preparation for Brexit, will be considered.
Regarding any further targeted supports specifically aimed at the travel and tourism sectors, I welcome the recent establishment of a dedicated Tourism Recovery Taskforce, made up of leaders from varying sections of the industry, who will work together to deal with the many challenges ahead in a dynamic and innovative manner. It has been tasked with identifying measures required to enable Irish tourism to recover from the devastating effects of COVID19.
