Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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171. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment when the 40% restart grant plus top-up will be extended to pubs nationally that have to remain closed due to public health restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26979/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Restart Grant Plus provides direct grant aid to businesses with up to 250 employees to help them with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers. The grant could also be used to defray ongoing fixed costs during closure, for example, utilities, insurance, refurbishment or for measures to ensure employee and customer safety.

In most cases the grant will be the amount of the rates assessment for the premises for 2019, with a minimum grant is €4,000 and the maximum grant is €25,000 (or maximum of €15,000 for businesses that received the maximum of €10,000 under the original Restart Grant Scheme). Top-ups are available for eligible businesses in Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Dublin and Donegal in respect of a further period of restrictions, for ‘wet’ pubs, bars and nightclubs nationwide that re-opened on 21 September, and for ‘wet’ pubs, bars and nightclubs in Dublin that remain closed.

Businesses in Dublin and Donegal are generally eligible for a 30% top-up due to the most recent restrictions. Donegal pubs remain partially open so get the pubs 40% top up (that is, the 30% businesses top up plus an additional 10%). Dublin pubs remain closed so get the 30% businesses top plus 40% pub top up, that is a total 70%).

Details of the wide range of COVID-19 supports available are noted on my Department’s website at .

Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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172. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the supports available to the chauffeur sector in view of the extreme hardship experienced by the sector due to the Covid-19 emergency; the grant aid available to chauffeur services; if a long-term debt relief plan has been considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27024/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government introduced the July Stimulus €7bn 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 amongst SMEs. Full details on all COVID19 supports for business are available at:

The July Stimulus Package is a substantial financial package to stimulate our economy worth more than €5 billion, with an additional €2 billion in loan guarantees which is bigger in scale than most budgets and is being deployed at speed. The July Stimulus package was designed to help businesses to open, to help those already open to stay open, to get staff back to work and for those who cannot go back to their old jobs, there are new opportunities.

The range of measures in place to assist businesses include direct grants to support viable businesses and jobs, including new hire. We have extended the wage subsidy scheme, which will run until the end of March 2021 and will be open to firms that do not currently participate and open to workers like seasonal workers who were not previously included, and we are giving companies extra assistance through an enhanced Restart Plus grant of up to €25,000. From 1^stSeptember, the six-month reduction in the VAT came into effect, going down from 23% to 21%.

We are providing more and cheaper loan finance through MicroFinance Ireland, SBCI and the new €2bn Credit Guarantee Scheme. I announced the reopening of MFI lending on 31^stAugust and I launched the €2bn Credit Guarantee Scheme on 7^thSeptember.

Businesses that are in the chauffeur sector may also be eligible for the Government's new Restart Grant Plus Scheme where they operate from a rateable premises. Grants of between €4,000 up to a maximum of €25,000 are available. Those businesses that accessed funding through the previous round of the scheme are eligible to apply for a second top-up payment to a total combined value of the revised maximum grant level.

The Government is examining all appropriate business supports to assist enterprises, including self-employed service providers, impacted by Covid-19, as we prepare the forthcoming Recovery Plan.

My colleague, Minister Eamon Ryan T.D., Minister for Transport may be able to provide more specific guidance on supports for the transport sector, and private chauffeur providers.