Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

52. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the financial supports available for a butcher that is a sole trader, that contracts Covid-19 and has a month’s worth of stock that cannot be sold due to the fact that the butcher must isolate and cannot move the stock given that as a result of contracting Covid-19 the individual is now facing serious financial losses as stock cannot be sold; if financial supports will be provided to cover such losses in this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1621/21]

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

I understand the significant impact that the necessary move to return to full scale Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, will have for businesses. The decision to move to full scale Level 5 was not taken lightly and all factors were considered. The restrictions are in place for a period of at least one month from 31 December 2020.

My Department has worked to ensure that appropriate supports are in place for businesses that require finance as they respond to impacts arising from COVID-19. The uptake of these supports has been robust and indicates that businesses are taking action in response to this period of disruption.

Budget 2021 provided a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build the resilience of the economy and to help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. The measures in the Budget are in addition to those announced in the July Stimulus, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, cash for businesses, low cost loans, commercial rates waivers and deferred tax liabilities. Details of the wide range of COVID-19 schemes are available on my Department’s website at .

As part of Budget 2021, the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme, operational through Revenue, 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.

As a result of the fact that businesses have to close, we have made changes to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the EWSS. These changes increase in the top rate to €350 for those who were earning in excess of €400 per week.

Any self-employed person who cannot work in the short term because they are ill due to COVID-19 can avail of the COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit payment of €350 per week, further information on this scheme can be found on the Department of Social Protection website at

To ensure that all self-employed taxpayers can benefit from the losses provision introduced in the July Stimulus, we are also providing that debt warehousing provisions be extended to include the 2019 balance and 2020 preliminary tax to allow such taxpayers to defer payment for a period of a year with no interest applying.

The Minister for Finance is also delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to equalise the Earned Income Credit with the PAYE credit by raising it by €150 to €1,650.

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 31st August and I launched the €2bn Credit Guarantee Scheme on 7th September.

We have also announced a six-month reduction in the VAT, going down to 21% and 9% respectively, together with a range of additional public capital investment measures to support the domestic economy.

These supports are supplementary to the wide range of existing loan and voucher schemes available to assist businesses affected by COVID-19 provided through the July Jobs Stimulus and other Government initiatives. In relation to the matter of cover for perishable stock this would be a matter for the business to raise directly with their insurance provider.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

53. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will introduce further financial supports for the owners of wet pubs who are still closed with no income and experiencing hardship due to the loss of business. [1697/21]

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

I am keenly aware that publicans are continuing to make massive sacrifices to protect their communities. I remain committed to ensuring that the Government offers as much assistance as possible. A comprehensive range of measures is in place for firms of all sizes, including the wage subsidy scheme, grants, low-cost loans, write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities and is available on my Department’s website at .

The Employment Wage Support Scheme was announced as part of Budget 2021 and is extended to end of March 2021. Changes were also made to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the EWSS, increasing the top rate to €350 for those who were earning in excess of €400 per week.

My colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister for Social Protection announced the doubling of the PUP threshold to €960 over an eight-week period. This will help people to restart their businesses when it is safe to do so and allow self-employed people to take on intermittent jobs.

The Revenue Commissioners' COVID Restrictions Support Scheme offers a temporary sector-specific support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels by up to €5,000 per week. For those that unfortunately have had to stay closed, including wet pubs, three double weeks of the CRSS were paid in December in recognition that this is normally the busiest time of the year for these businesses.

Budget 2021 overall provides a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to build resilience and help vulnerable but viable businesses across all sectors. We are providing more and cheaper loan finance through MicroFinance Ireland, SBCI and the Credit Guarantee Scheme.

A six-month reduction in VAT rates down from 23% to 21%, and from 13.5% to 9% will benefit the hospitality sector. As well as a range of additional public capital investment measures to support the domestic economy. 

I will continue to work with my colleagues to identify practical actions and to regularly review supports available to assist businesses.