Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment Louise O’Reilly TD has said the expansion of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), to financially support businesses, is needed now more than ever given the extension of the public health restrictions.

Teachta O’Reilly said:

“Since Budget Day, when the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) was announced, Sinn Féin highlighted the limitations within the scheme. We consistently argued that the scheme should include all businesses that had seen their turnover fall by 75 percent or more.

“Under the current CRSS, only businesses with fixed premises and reduced footfall as a result of restrictions qualify. Businesses who were excluded from the scheme also made their displeasure known to the government, and they have been crying out for financial assistance from the state.

“Sinn Féin has been raising these matters and pushing for the inclusion of companies, such as event management companies, businesses without a fixed premises, and many others, who have fallen through the cracks within the scheme.

“The announcement by the government that some businesses excluded from CRSS, such as wholesalers, suppliers, and caterers, would receive financial support under a new Covid-19 Business Aid Scheme (CBAS) was a welcome one, however, as with the CRSS, the new CBAS scheme did not address the exclusion of businesses without a fixed premises. As a result, a host of businesses will continue to go without any support.

“We now have the bizarre situation where both of the main support schemes for businesses exclude some of those most in need.

“Sinn Féin still believe in the interest of protecting of as many businesses and jobs as possible, that the sensible thing to do is to include all businesses that had seen their turnover fall by 75 percent or more in the CRSS scheme.

“The extension of the public health restrictions makes this matter even more urgent. I would call on the government to revaluate the CRSS in light of the new restrictions and provide excluded businesses access to the scheme.”