Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade, Employment and Workers’ Rights Louise O’Reilly TD has said that the current prescriptive nature of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme is causing countless businesses to be excluded.

Speaking this afternoon, Teachta O’Reilly said:

“Since budget day, when the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) was announced, many limitations were highlighted within the scheme. This has become more acute since businesses have tried to draw down funding.

“In the days following Budget 2021, both I and my colleagues pointed out that the narrow nature of the scheme would mean suppliers, event management companies, taxi drivers, businesses without a fixed premises, and many others would fall through the cracks with the scheme.

“In the Finance Committee, my colleague Pearse Doherty has highlighted these problems with the CRSS scheme to the Minister for Finance.

“Indeed, last night in the Enterprise, Trade and Employment Committee, I called on the Tánaiste to expand the scheme to include businesses such as event management companies, the business event industry, artists, taxi drivers, suppliers, and other businesses who are currently excluded from the CRSS scheme.

“There are companies, such as in the event management business, who employ many people, organise events all over the state bringing business activity to nearly every county, and who contribute significant tax revenue to the state, who have been excluded from the scheme because they don’t have a fixed premises.

“There are other businesses, such as suppliers, who are affected upstream by the shockwaves of the lockdown on their downstream customers, and they are also excluded from the CRSS scheme due to the narrow nature of who can qualify for funding.

“The Tánaiste has agreed to look at some of the individual cases I raised with him, but wider reform of the scheme is needed to immediately expand the CRSS to ensure it delivers for as many suffering businesses as possible.”