Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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523. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to reopen the enterprise support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4292/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Enterprise Support Grant (ESG) is available to eligible self-employed recipients who close their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and re-start their business. A once-off grant of up to €1,000, to assist with the costs associated with reopening, is available under this measure.

The grant, of up to €1,000, is payable to self-employed individuals who employ fewer than 10 people, have an annual turnover of less than €1 million and are not eligible for support from similar business reopening grants, such as the COVID19 Restrictions Support Scheme, from other Departments.

Approximately 8,600 applications have been approved since the introduction of this grant, with funding of almost €8m paid to small businesses. A provision of €12m is available for this support in 2021. The extension of this grant into 2021 ensures supports remain available to qualified self-employed individuals when they close their PUP payments as restrictions are eased. Detailed information about this grant and other supports for self-employed individuals is available at www.gov.ie/dsp.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.