Written answers

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if businesses which were non-trading in March 2020 but began or were due to begin trading in 2020 or 2021 during the pandemic will qualify for the Covid-19 business aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13884/21]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely aware of the difficulties that these necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on all businesses right across the country.  Business owners are making sacrifices in order to protect their communities.

With that in mind, I recently announced the new Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID.  This scheme is now open for applications through Local Authorities and will provide a €4,000 grant for businesses for the first quarter of this year.  Closing date for Local Authorities to receive applications is 21stApril, 2021.

The Scheme is open to companies, self-employed, sole traders or partnerships, with a minimum turnover of €50,000 and are not owned and operated by a public body. The Scheme is open to firms that currently employ less than 250 and with current turnover of less than €25m.

Businesses down 75% or more in turnover among those expected to benefit the scheme.  The scheme is available to businesses not eligible for CRSS, the Fáilte Ireland Business Continuity Scheme, or the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media’s Live Performance Support.

The business must operate from a building, or similar fixed physical structure on which business rates are payable (mobile premises, or premises which are not permanently fixed in place, do not meet the definition of business premises nor do premises on which no rates are payable).

Specifically in relation to the time period you reference, the turnover of the business over the claim period can be estimated to be no more than 25% of the average weekly turnover of the business in 2019; or the projected average weekly turnover of the business for 1 January to 31 March 2021, for businesses that commenced trading after 1 November 2019.  Businesses which began trading during 2020 are therefore eligible to apply for the scheme if they meet the other qualifying criteria. 

Full details of the wide range of COVID-19 schemes are available on my Department’s website at .

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the redundancy protections in place for women who have had to cut back on their hours or take leave during the Covid-19 pandemic to manage unpaid domestic, childcare and homeschooling demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13896/21]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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From the outset of Covid-19, many employers have taken the initiative, in line with subsequent requests from the Government, to be as flexible as possible in allowing staff time off to look after their children who are not attending school or crèche. Some of the options to be considered for workers with caring responsibilities may include -

- Allowing employees to work from home,

- Altering shifts, so that employees can coordinate caring between themselves and partners, or another person,

- Allowing employees to rearrange holidays,

- Allowing employees to rearrange parental leave, 

- Allowing employees to take paid time off that can be worked back at a later time.

I would encourage any employees affected by the lack of childcare to engage with their employer in the first instance to explore all options available to enable them to continue working.  I would encourage employers to be as flexible and supportive as possible with a view to maintaining good employment relationships over the long term.

The existing provisions of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 continue to apply to employees.  A week, or any part of a week, where an employee is actually at work is considered to be reckonable service for the purposes of calculating a redundancy payment.  Various types of leave, such as annual leave or parental leave, are also allowable as reckonable service.

Finally the Workplace Relations Commission provides information to employees on employment, equality and industrial relations rights and obligations, and can be contacted at Lo-call 1890 80 80 90 or via its website www.workplacerelations.ie.

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