Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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20. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports he will give to enterprises who have difficulties reopening after lockdown. [29370/21]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Since the start of the pandemic, the government has responded rapidly, putting in place an extraordinary range of funding and advisory assistance schemes for workers and businesses including through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).  

These schemes have been vital in sustaining businesses and workers, and getting us to the point we have now reached.  

With the economy now re-opening in clear phases, and vaccine roll-out comprehensively underway, the Economic Recovery Plan sets out renewed package of assistance, investments and policies for a new stage of economic recovery, providing a clear pathway for the labour market and enterprise towards new opportunities.   

The Plan includes in excess of €3.5 billion in further labour market and enterprise schemes and just under €1 billion additional funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

This Plan comprehensively expands EWSS and PUP, and provides clarity and certainty for businesses and employees over the period ahead by outlining next steps.

In addition, it extends CRSS as well as enhances the SBASC payment; extends the Commercial Rates Waiver until the end of September 2021; provides for a new additional Business Resumption Support Scheme; extends Tax Debt Warehousing until the end of 2021; and further extends the 9% tourism VAT rate until September 2022.

Information on the wide range of schemes can be found on my Department’s website.

We are committed to the economic recovery of the country and work is ongoing across Government to ensure the assistance which will be in place are sufficient, targeted and sustainable. The National Economic Recovery Plan charts the pathway forward for our country by helping people back into work by extending labour market supports and through intense activation and skilling, and re-building Sustainable Enterprises through targeted investments and policies to make enterprises more resilient and productive.