Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The restart grant and restart grant plus schemes were designed to help small and medium-sized businesses during an exceptionally difficult time. The restart grant scheme was launched on 15 May, with a budget of €250 million. The restart grant plus scheme was launched on 10 August, with an additional budget of €300 million from the Government's July stimulus, as a result of the increasing demand for the scheme. The purpose of the schemes was to help with the cost of reopening or adapting business premises so normal business could resume. Grant payments were administered by the local authorities via the commercial rates system as this was considered the most effective means to get financial assistance to small businesses quickly. The restart grant plus scheme closed to new applicants on 31 October. The Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, operated by the Revenue Commissioners, superseded it.

In response to the Deputy's specific question, as of 11 December 2020 Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council has awarded 1,191 restart grants, and 1,646 businesses have benefited from grant payments under the restart grant plus scheme. In total, 118,600 applications have been managed under both restart schemes across the country.

See this speech in context