Government announces expansion of Covid-19 supports

The Government has announced enhanced business support schemes for the hospitality and arts sectors hit by the latest restrictions.

This includes reopening the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to new applicants and a relaxation of the turnover reduction figure for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme scheme to 40%.  There is also an extension of tax warehousing.

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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar described the supports being announced as considerable.

Mr Varadkar said the measures put in place a level of financial support that is similar or better than the support provided to those sectors when Ireland was in a full Level 5 lockdown.

​He said the EWSS will be paid at the full rate until January and will now be reopened to businesses that were able to come off the EWSS in recent months.

Mr Varadkar said in certain circumstances the EWSS will be open to new businesses that were not availing of the scheme because they are not doing as well as a result of the current restrictions that are in place.

The Minister for Finance said that firms who previously de-registered can now re-enter in January if they meet certain turnover and entry criteria.

Paschal Donohoe said these businesses must anticipate that their combined turnover for December 2021 and January 2022 is down at least 30% compared to December 2019 and January 2020 combined.

He said this condition applies to all businesses that commenced operations on or before 30 April 2019.

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