Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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450. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the restart grant to sole traders and businesses without premises will be extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8808/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The new €250m Restart Grant is aimed at helping micro and small businesses with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The application form is now available online on all local authority websites.

Businesses that are not operating from a rateable premise are not eligible.

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 don’t have the same levels of losses, 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.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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451. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason sports clubs cannot apply for the restart grant even though they pay commercial rates like other businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8822/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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On Friday, 15 May, 2020 the Government announced details of the new €250m Restart Grant providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers.

The Restart Grant support is just one part of the wider €12bn package of supports for commercial 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 those businesses to continue trading and to maintain employment.

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

- have a turnover of less than €5m and have 50 or less employees.

- have suffered a projected 25%+ loss in revenue from 1 April 2020 to 30th June 2020.

- commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed.

- declare the intention to retain employees that are benefitting from the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).

The primary objective, therefore, is to get funding into small businesses that:

- Are reliant solely on local trading income;

- Are financially independent from any group structure;

- Have suffered significant financial losses;

- Have had to bear ongoing fixed costs or faced costs associated with re- opening the business;

- Provide local paid employment.

In that context, sporting organisations are not eligible because they are not primarily commercial organisations and have sources of income other than commercial sales.