Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the business restart grant will be reviewed; if further grant supports for SMEs will be considered in view of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16131/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As stated in the Programme for Government, we will bring forward a Jobs Stimulus this month to boost our economy and help restore employment. 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 measures totalling €12 billion in supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses already announced.

The Restart Grant was launched on 22 May 2020 and is a critically important tool to support small businesses to reopen their doors and get back on their feet. Grant payments available range from a minimum of €2,000 up to €10,000 available. The scheme was devised in recognition of the fact that micro and small businesses were and are particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of COVID-19.

Using funding allocated by my Department to Enterprise Ireland for the Scheme, the Local Authorities are the granting authority in each of their respective areas. The Local Authorities make grant payments to the bank account of qualifying businesses, in accordance with the scheme.

As of 10 July 2020, 40,506 businesses have applied for €141.7m in grants. A total sum of €94,795,136 in grants has been disbursed to businesses by local authorities to date, in respect of 23,326 applications.

A further sum of €15,044,550 is due to be paid in respect of applications which have recently been approved.

The Restart Grant is, however, just one part of a wider assistance package for business and for firms of all sizes, which includes the wage subsidy scheme, the pandemic unemployment payment for the self-employed, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs. Within the funding available so far, the priority has been to assist those who have suffered most, including closure of the business, but whom will still have incurred ongoing costs.

Although the Restart grant scheme has been broadly welcomed by those businesses which have benefitted, I am examining how it can be improved to widen and deepen the impact for businesses that are reopening and taking back employees. My officials are examining all dimensions of the Restart Grant as set out in the Programme for Government.