Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the advice he can provide in relation to correspondence concerning restart grants (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23141/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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As you are aware, 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), low-cost loans, the deferral and warehousing of tax liabilities and the waiver of commercial rates.

You will also know that 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.

As regards the query which you have received from your constituent, it would appear that your correspondent is referring to the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID (SBASC), which is a different scheme with different conditions to the Restart Grant schemes. Its conditions are set to closely mirror the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme which is run by the Revenue Commissioners, including minimum annual turnover and reductions in turnover.

In relation to the eligibility requirement of €50,000 turnover, both CRSS and SBASC were being introduced to meet the unavoidable costs that businesses operating from a fixed premises incur whether they are open or not. Analysis carried out for similar schemes has shown that where annual turnover is less than €50,000, then it is likely that most costs will be payroll based and the Government is providing subsidies or other income supports in the form of the EWSS and the PUP.

Small businesses are crucial to our economy and the Government continues to keep all schemes under review.