Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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257. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of firms that availed of the temporary wage subsidy scheme that the authorities are currently investigating to ensure they fulfil the criteria for access to the scheme; the number of firms that have availed of the scheme that have submitted audited accounts to the Revenue Commissioners; and the number of firms that have availed of the scheme and that are also in receipt of other State aid, including the Covid restrictions support scheme, rates waiver and sector specific supports. [36141/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), which operated from 26 March 2020 to 31 August 2020, provided over €2.9 billion of financial support to more than 66,500 qualifying employers on behalf of approximately eligible 664,000 employees.

As provided for in the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid 19) Act, Revenue is responsible for the administration of the TWSS and in exercise of this responsibility, has since June 2020, engaged in a phased programme of compliance checks on all participating employers. Revenue has advised me that over 70% of these checks are fully completed at this time, and have, for the most part, confirmed high levels of compliance by employers with the conditions of the scheme.

As part of the compliance checks, Revenue requested employers to confirm eligibility for the TWSS by reference to the decline in their turnover in Quarter 2 of 2020 due to COVID-19 related restrictions, and to provide sample payslips confirming payment of the subsidy to their eligible employees. This level of detail should have been readily available to employers as they formed part of the core eligibility criteria for the TWSS. Revenue has confirmed that it did not request employers to submit audited accounts as part of the compliance checks as this was not an eligibility requirement for the scheme. Revenue has also advised me that approximately 1,000 employers were subjected to a more detailed review following the initial compliance checks. Of these, almost 500 are completed at this point with enquiries continuing in respect of the remainder.

Regarding the Deputy’s question on TWSS recipient employers availing of ‘other COVID-19 State aided schemes’, Revenue has confirmed that, at end September 2020 (the latest date for which the analysis has been completed), approximately 20,000 (30%) of the total number of former TWSS recipient employers were in receipt of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which replaced the TWSS from 1 September 2020. This figure is expected to rise when October data is fully analysed. Revenue has also advised that, as registration for the COVID-19 Restriction Support Scheme (CRSS) has only recently commenced, it is not yet possible to provide the number of former TWSS recipient employers now availing of that scheme.

Finally, Revenue is not involved in the administration of commercial rates or ‘other specific sector supports’ outside of the TWSS, EWSS, CRSS subsidy schemes and the Debt Warehousing scheme, which currently contains €2.2 billion of ‘parked’ tax debt owed by businesses impacted by COVID-19 related restrictions. The Deputy's query on the rates waiver is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.