Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

100. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason the July stimulus package has no grant or support schemes for affected self-employed and-or sole traders in view of the fact that other European countries have delivered grants for same. [19802/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The July Stimulus package saw the announcement of an additional €7 billion of supports on top of the €12 billion already committed. These supports are wide ranging and it is inaccurate to say that no grant or support schemes are available for self-employed individuals or sole traders.

Businesses trading as either sole traders or operated by self-employed persons can access many of the liquidity supports offered across Government including Micro Finance Ireland loans, the Credit Guarantee Scheme and a variety of mentoring and other soft supports available through the Local Enterprise Offices.

Additionally, in terms of direct grants to the business, the Restart Grant is available for those self-employed persons or sole traders who trade from rateable premises and the Enterprise Support Grant administered by the Department of Employment and Social Protection may be available to those who do not trade from rateable premises.

Many businesses operated by self-employed individuals and sole traders employ people and these businesses can avail of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and its successor the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which provides a direct grant to the business which will help support the employment costs incurred by the business. These are vital supports which will assist the business continue to trade through these challenging times.

If the Deputy is referring to direct income supports, it should be noted that the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to those self-employed individuals whose businesses were forced to close as a result of the pandemic. 

Businesses operating under these structures are also entitled to tax deferrals which can have the effect of injecting substantial liquidity into these businesses.  Importantly, the July Stimulus also saw my colleague the Minister for Finance announce additional personal taxation measures which will enable self-employed persons who have suffered losses in 2020 due to COVID-19 to obtain early recognition of those losses, thereby providing additional liquidity for those individuals.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

101. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the value of grants issued under the restart grant scheme by each local authority and or LEO in tabular form. [19805/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Restart Grant Scheme is administered by the 31 Local Authorities on behalf of my Department.

I have set out in the table below the value of Restart Grant funding paid by each Local Authority as of 24 July 2020.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

102. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when the enhanced measures in respect of the business restart grant will be available for application through the local authorities. [19811/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On 23^rdJuly 2020 I announced that in order to further support enterprises as the economy reopens and resumes activity, further grant funding of €300m will be provided to businesses through an enhanced Restart Grant as part of the July Stimulus.

The maximum grant available will rise to €25,000 (up from €10,000) and the minimum payment will be €4,000 (up from €2,000). Firms that accessed the Restart Grant will be eligible to apply for a second top-up payment to a total combined value of the revised minimum and maximum grant levels.

The criteria for accessing the scheme will include Enterprises that have:

- 250 employees or less;

- Turnover of less than €100,000 per employee; and

- Reduced turnover by 25% as a result of COVID-19

Under the revised Restart Grant, support will also be provided for enterprises that could not access the original grant scheme. Non-rated B&Bs and rateable sports businesses will be eligible for a grant payment of €4,000.

Applications for the enhanced grant will open in due course through the Local Authorities and I will announce further details in the coming days.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

103. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications that have been received for the restart fund for micro and small businesses in Fingal County Council; the funding that has been allocated to the authority; the number of businesses in Dublin 7 and 15 that have received funding under the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19845/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Dublin City Council, the relevant local authority in respect of businesses located in Dublin 7, has to date received the sum of €26,681,619 in an initial funding tranche from this Department.

As of 24 July 2020, Dublin City Council has received a total number of 5496 applications from businesses seeking Restart Grant funding. Of this amount, 3824 have successfully been approved for payment.

In terms of businesses located in Dublin 15, Fingal County Council has to date received a total of 1799 applications for Restart Grant funding. Of this amount 1,333 applicants have been successfully approved for funding from the initial tranche of €8,043,964 allocated to the Council on initiation of the Scheme.

In response to the Deputy’s specific queries in relation to the amounts sought and amounts allocated to businesses in Dublin 7 and Dublin 15 respectively, it is not possible to provide this information in isolation from the total amounts as outlined above. This information has not been collected and collated by Local Authorities as they have not been instructed to do so in the Service Level Agreement agreed in relation to their administering of the Scheme on behalf of my Department.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

104. 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 that have been received from businesses in Dublin 7 and 15; the number of these that have been processed to date; the number that have been successful; the number that have been allocated to these businesses; the amount that was sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19847/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 under the various schemes for the County of Dublin including the Dublin 7 and Dublin 15 areas, unless otherwise specified.

Tables of uptake:

*One IDA client company was allocated a grant of €3,600

**Applications currently being processed with clients

***Processed and final approval communicated to clients

Please note EI do not breakdown applications/approvals into boroughs or areas. A breakdown is provided by county.

MFI applications per LEO are as follows:

LEOs also provided Covid related mentoring and training as per detail below:

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.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

105. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications that have been received for the restart fund for micro and small businesses in county Wicklow; the amount of funding that has been allocated to the authority; the number of businesses in County Wicklow that have received funding under the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19895/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

Wicklow County Council has to date received the sum of €4,973,539 in an initial funding tranche from this Department.

As of 24 July 2020, Wicklow County Council has received a total of 1,187 applications from businesses seeking Restart Grant funding.

Of this amount, 918 businesses have been approved and have received funding, with a further 27 businesses approved and awaiting payment.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

106. 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 that have been received from businesses in County Wicklow; the number of these have been processed to date; the number that have been successful; the number that have been allocated to these businesses; the amount that was sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19897/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 Wicklow under the various schemes.

Tables of uptake:

*Applications/clients currently being processed

**Processed and final approval communicated to clients

The Local Enterprise Office in Wicklow submitted 11 Micro Finance applications and also provided Covid-19 related Mentoring Support to 107 participants and Training Support to 820 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.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The July Stimulus package which was announced by the Government last week allocated an additional €450m to my Department.  The details of which are as follows:

- €300m ReStart Grant

- €2bn Credit Guarantee Scheme

- €55m for Micro and Small Business Loan and Grant assistance through MicroFinance Ireland (MFI) and LEOs

- €10m for the €500m Future Growth Loan Scheme

- €10m for Enterprise Ireland Seed and Venture Capital

- €20m for Brexit Business Preparedness

- Future Jobs related investments of €25m in Lifesciences and combating COVID-19

- €10m for Carbon Reduction  

- €4.0m towards a new €5.5m  Online Retail Scheme

- Additional €10m marketing budget for IDA Ireland

This Government is providing a range of liquidity assistance to businesses, through guarantees to the banks for their on-lending and through MFI to assist microenterprises. MFI lending was paused on 6th July, as their funding position had become constrained. The Microenterprise Loan Fund Amendment Act 2020, which was signed by the President on 10^thJuly, will allow MFI to immediately resume lending with this additional grant funding of up to €30 million.  

There is currently €66.5 million provided for the LEOs, which includes the €33 million provided for in the Revised REV 2020 estimates. An additional €10m is being provided to the LEOs in the July Stimulus bringing the capital allocation to the LEOs to €76.5million or a 130% increase on the figure at the start of the year.  It is estimated that additional potential LEO beneficiaries could be in the order of 17,000 microenterprises across the LEO remit and including mentoring, training, grants and MFI throughputs. A further €20m is being provided by the Minister for Communications as part of the July Stimulus to the LEOs for the expansion of the Trading OnLine Voucher Scheme.

As microenterprises move into the recovery phase and as the LEOs deal with the remaining applications on hand in respect of the trading on-line vouchers and business continuity vouchers, there will be a growing demand for more of the traditional core offerings from the LEOs, such as business expansion grants and measures to increase productivity and continuous development of on-line presence. No decision has been made on the allocation of funds to any individual LEO, but it will be used primarily for a combination of existing grant and soft support programmes and to address specific business needs for LEO core clients. 

In addition, LEOs will begin rolling out the additional €20m in Trading Online Voucher assistance for micro enterprises using funding from the Department of Communications as part of the July Stimulus, helping up to an additional 8,000 businesses. 

Full details on all COVID19 measures for business are available at: