Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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419. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the details of the announced business restart fund and the person or body to apply to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7368/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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On Friday, May 15^th2020 the Government agreed details of the new €250m Restart Grant, which will give direct grant aid to micro and small businesses to help them with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers following COVID-19 closures.

The Grant will be available to businesses with a turnover of less than €5m and employing 50 people or less, which were closed or impacted by at least a 25% reduction in turnover out to 30^thJune 2020. It is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers.

The grants will be equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, or a minimum payment of €2,000, whichever is the higher, and a maximum payment of €10,000. Those businesses with outstanding rates bills are also eligible to make an application if they meet the criteria.

Applications for the Restart Grant can be made online to local authorities from Friday 22^ndMay. Processing of applications and payment of the Restart Grant will depend on the initial surge of applications but, as far as is feasible, will be prioritised according to scheduled re-opening dates in the national Roadmap.

To avail of the Restart Grant, a business must be in the Local Authorities Commercial Rates Payment System and:

1. have an annual turnover of less than €5m and employ between 1 to 50 people;

2. have closed and/or suffered a projected 25%+ loss in turnover to end June 2020;

3. commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed;

4. declare the intention to retaining employees that are on The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and to re-employ staff on the Pandemic Unemployment payment where applicable.

The grant can be used to defray ongoing fixed costs, for replenishing stock and for measures needed to ensure employee and customer safety.

This direct grant support is part of the wider €12bn package of supports for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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420. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the qualifying criteria will be reconsidered for the Covid-19 restart grant for small businesses (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7441/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses is available online on all local authority websites since Friday 22^ndMay. Eligible businesses who have remained open, or that reopened under phase 1 on 18^thMay or that are due to reopen in Phase 2 on 8^thJune under the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business to ease the COVID-19 restrictions are encouraged to apply now for the Restart Grant. These applications will be prioritised for payment by the local authorities.

The Restart Grant is aimed at helping micro and small businesses with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers following COVID-19 closures.

I understand the concerns relating to business that do not operate from commercial premises.

However, tradespersons and service providers that operate on a mobile basis or that could continue to work remotely have been better placed to continue to trade and many do not have the same levels of ongoing overheads or reopening costs that a fixed premises business will have. Within the funding available, the priority has been to support those who have suffered most, including closure of the business, but who will still have incurred ongoing costs.

The eligibility criteria will be subject to ongoing review and we will continue to take on board issues as they arise.