Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason private coach operators have been excluded from payment under the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39014/20]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will include track bookmakers in the Covid restrictions support scheme given many of them own pitches on tracks and these pitches are their workplaces and these workplaces are prevented from operating as a result of Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39028/20]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Finance if bus and coach services will be included in the Covid restrictions support scheme to keep workers employed and allow their business to resume when it is safe to do so (details supplied). [38944/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 to 50, inclusive, together.

The Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) was announced in the Budget on 13 October 2020. The details are set out in Finance Bill 2020 and guidelines on the operation of the scheme, including the eligibility criteria, are available on the Revenue website: ().

The support is available to companies and self-employed individuals who carry on a trade or trading activities from a business premises located in a region subject to restrictions, introduced in line with the Living with Covid-19 Plan, with the result that the business is required to prohibit or considerably restrict customers from accessing their business premises. Generally, this refers to Covid restrictions at Level 3, 4 or 5 of the Government’s Plan for Living with Covid-19 but certain businesses may qualify for the support where lower levels of restrictions are in operation.

The CRSS applies to businesses carrying on trading activities from a business premises located in a region subject to restrictions, which requires the business to prohibit or considerably restrict customers from accessing their business premises and as a result, is operating at less than 25% of turnover in 2019.

Where a business does not ordinarily operate from a fixed business premises located in a region that is subject to restrictions, such as an on-course bookmaker or a coach or bus operator whose business is ordinarily operated from mobile vehicles, that business will not meet the eligibility criteria. Coach operators may be able to benefit from the Coach Tourism Business Continuity Scheme, a €10million fund to provide coach tourism businesses with a direct financial contribution to help support them with future operational and continuity plans.

The CRSS is an additional measure for businesses in a region subject to significant Covid-19 restrictions. Businesses who do not qualify under this scheme may be entitled to support under various measures put in place by Government, including existing supports available under the COVID Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). They may also be eligible to warehouse VAT and PAYE (Employer) debts and also excess payments received by employers under the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, and the balance of Income Tax for 2019 and Preliminary Tax for 2020 for self-assessed taxpayers if applicable.

Deputies will be aware that the Finance Bill is currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas, and I have no plans to extend eligibility of the scheme.