Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports available for a company (details supplied) with mobile premises, premises which are not permanently fixed in place and premises on which no commercial rates are payable which are ineligible for the current Covid-19 business support schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20229/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely aware of the difficulties that the necessary ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are putting on businesses right across the country.

With this in mind the Government has put in place a comprehensive package to help businesses and workers during the pandemic, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates.

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.

I would urge business owners to seek the supports outlined above if they have not already done so. I would also suggest they contact their Local Enterprise Office who can signpost them and advise them of supports that may be available for their business.

The schemes are there to help meet fixed costs that cannot be avoided and to provide basic weekly income support up to maximum of €350 per week. They are not created to provide compensation for loss of personal income above this level or compensation for loss of profits for any sector.

I want to assure you, however, the Government is consulting with business sectors and I am aware of their concerns and I and my colleagues across Government are continuing to keep the range of measures under review.