Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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120. To ask the Minister for Finance if a special wage support and other emergency subsidies will be targeted to help SMEs and entrepreneurs similar to the effective emergency measures supports during Covid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46744/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) was a key component of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was an emergency measure to support employment and maintain the link between employers and employees. Notwithstanding the current challenges facing some businesses associated with high energy costs, the present circumstances are different to those in place when the EWSS was introduced. As such, I have no current plans to introduce a wage subsidy scheme.

However, as announced in my Budget Day speech, I am introducing a Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme to assist businesses with their energy costs over the winter months. Further details in relation to this new temporary scheme are set out in the documentation published on www.gov.ie.