John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Finance the measures he will be taking to support businesses as they reopen in the coming months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31776/21]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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111. To ask the Minister for Finance the further economic supports he is providing for businesses as they reopen following Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31766/21]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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355. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to reintroduce the restart grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31196/21]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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378. To ask the Minister for Finance the details of the financial supports that will be made available to assist pubs that do not serve food to reopen; the way publicans can apply for this funding; when the funding will be paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31694/21]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Finance if the Covid recovery support scheme will continue past September 2021 where necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30181/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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405. To ask the Minister for Finance if the steps he has taken remain adequate to offset the effects of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32087/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 111, 355, 378, 383 and 405 together.

The Government has committed on multiple occasions that there will be no “cliff edge” to supports for business. Following the Government meeting on 1 June, I announced a number of measures to provide certainty to businesses as public health restrictions are lifted and allow them to plan for the future as they re-open and resume normal trading.

These measures include

the extension of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to the end of 2021,

the extension of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme to the end of 2021 and its enhancement to provide additional support to businesses upon re-opening,

a new additional business support scheme (Business Resumption Support Scheme or BRSS) for businesses with reduced turnover as a result of public health restrictions to be implemented in September 2021,

the extension of the tax debt warehousing scheme to allow the period where liabilities arising can be “warehoused” to be extended to the end of 2021 for all eligible taxpayers, with an interest free period during 2022, and to include overpayments of EWSS in the scheme, and

the extension of the reduced rate of VAT of 9% applying on a temporary basis to Hospitality and Tourism related goods and services until 1 September 2022.

An enhanced CRSS restart payment is being introduced for businesses availing of CRSS who can re-open from 2 June, they will be eligible to claim an enhanced restart payment of three weeks at double rate of payment paid in one ‘restart week payment’ as they exit the scheme. The statutory maximum payment will be increased from €5,000 per week to €10,000 per week for this restart payment. This means that businesses opening from 2 June will receive a maximum of €30,000 restart payment calculated with reference to the average weekly turnover of the business in 2019.

As the economy re-opens, a new general scheme the BRSS will be introduced, aimed at businesses which have had reduced turnover as a result of public health restrictions. Similar to CRSS it will apply to businesses registered with Revenue, whose profits are chargeable to tax under Case I of Schedule D, and their turnover is reduced by 75% in the reference period ( 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021) compared with 2019. Qualifying businesses will be able to apply to Revenue for a once-off cash payment, representing an advance credit for trading expenses that are deductible for income and/or corporation tax purposes. The scheme will be implemented in September 2021.

The extensions of the EWSS and CRSS, the tax debt warehousing enhancements and the new BRSS will apply across the economy and are not specific to any sector. However, the Government recognises the continuing challenges facing the Hospitality and Tourism sectors, and have agreed that the reduced VAT rate of 9% applying to the sectors on a temporary basis will be extended to September 2022. The extension of the reduced rate until the end of the 2022 summer season allows for a longer period of recovery for the sector.

The Government will continue to assess matters as we move forward with the reopening of the economy and I will continue to work with Ministerial colleagues to ensure that appropriate supports are in place to mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic as far as possible.