Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if he will provide additional supports to local pubs in recognition of the additional challenges faced during level 5 restrictions. [34995/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am keenly aware that publicans are making a massive sacrifice to protect their communities and I am committed to ensuring that the Government offers as much assistance and support as possible.

As part of the Restart Grant and Restart Grant Plus schemes, several top-up payments were approved by Government to deal with additional financial pressures caused by necessary Covid-19 restrictions. These included a top-up for ‘wet’ pubs, top-ups for Level 3 restrictions and most recently a top-up of 30% for all eligible businesses nationally in recognition of Level 5. Businesses in the hospitality sector and other vulnerable sectors who previously benefited from the Restart Grant were eligible to re-apply for these top-ups.

The Restart Grant Plus Scheme closed to new application on 31st October and a new Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), operated by the Revenue Commission, was introduced in Budget 2021 from 13th October. It offers a targeted, timely and temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels due to COVID of up to €5,000 per week.

Budget 2021 also provides a significant package of tax and fiscal measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors.

In recognition that businesses had to close, we made changes to the PUP and the EWSS. The new payment structure for the PUP includes the increase in the top rate to €350 for those who were earning in excess of €400 per week. This change to payment rates will apply in respect of all existing and new applicants. The EWSS is also being amended to align with the amendment to PUP, with the top payment increasing to €350 for those earning over €400.

We are providing more and cheaper loan finance through MicroFinance Ireland, SBCI and the new €2bn Credit Guarantee Scheme.

A six-month reduction in VAT rates has been introduced, down from 23% to 21%, and from 13.5% to 9% which will benefit the hospitality sector. This is along with a range of additional public capital investment measures to support the domestic economy.

A list of assistance for businesses is available at: .