Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications received for the restart fund for micro and small businesses in the Kildare County Council area; the funding allocated to the authority; the number of businesses in north County Kildare that received funding under the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19782/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Restart Grant scheme is just one part of the wider suite of measures for firms of all sizes, which includes grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities, all of which will help to improve cashflow amongst SMEs.

This package is a significant step-up in assistance available for all businesses in all sectors at this very difficult time. The measures have been developed to meet the varying needs of Irish enterprise and they are very specifically targeted by size, sector and need and are targeted at vulnerable but viable companies.

Kildare County Council has to date received the sum of €6,678,602 in an initial funding tranche from this Department.

As of 24 July 2020, Kildare County Council has received a total of 1284 applications from bus,inesses seeking Restart Grant funding.

Of this amount, 1046 businesses have been approved and have received funding.

In response to the Deputy’s specific question in relation to the number of businesses in North County Kildare that have received funding, the Council is not in a position to respond to this query with this level of information as it has not been instructed to do so in the Service Level Agreement as agreed with my Department.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications for supports under the various schemes for businesses impacted by Covid-19 received from businesses in north County Kildare; the number of these that have been processed to date; the number that have been successful; the funding allocated to these businesses; the amount that was sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19784/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government previously introduced a package of supports 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 among SMEs. Full details on all COVID-19 supports for business are available at: 

On July 23^rdthe Government announced the July Jobs Stimulus, a €7.4bn package of measures designed to stimulate a jobs-led recovery and build economic confidence while continuing to manage the impact of Covid-19.  The priority of the Government remains the wellbeing of our people and communities. We are now increasing our focus on business and on getting as many people as possible back to work.  Further details on the July Jobs Stimulus are available at:

The Table below sets out the number of applications for supports received from businesses in County Kildare under the various schemes.

Tables of uptake:

*Applications/clients currently being processed

**Processed and final approval communicated to clients

The Local Enterprise Office in Kildare submitted 15 Micro Finance applications and also provided Covid-19 related Mentoring Support to 456 participants and Training Support to 1,898 participants.

Later this year the Government will set out a National Economic Plan to chart a long term, jobs-led recovery. It will set out how we secure our public finances in a world where we must live with Covid-19, while driving efforts to decarbonise our economy and prepare for the next phase of technological transformation.