COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 10, 2021

QUESTION NO. 30

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report into what additional assistance SDCC can provide to businesses post Covid 19 ? What supports are being considered to restart Business ?

REPLY:

The Government has confirmed that they will set out a clear plan for people and for businesses as to what's going to happen from July onwards as it fully appreciated that there are certain sectors that are going to need additional and ongoing financial support because of the difficulties that businesses will face in reopening and recovering, in particular hospitality, tourism, aviation, and also the events and art sectors were highlighted.

The current direct supports SDCC are providing businesses are as follows :-

  1. SBASC (Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID).

SBASC gives grants to businesses who are not eligible for the Government’s COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), the Fáilte Ireland Business Continuity grant or other direct sectoral grant schemes. This scheme aims to help businesses with their fixed costs, for example, rent, utility bills, security.

A payment grant of €4,000 is available for the first quarter of this year. A decision on payment for the second quarter of this year will be made in due course. To qualify for the scheme, enterprises must have:

The scheme which was run on a first-come-first-served basis closed for applications on the 21st April 2021.

  1. Outdoor Dining Scheme

The Outdoor Seating & Accessories for Tourism & Hospitality Business provides support to individual hospitality and tourism businesses towards the cost of equipment to provide additional outdoor seating and facilitate individual businesses to increase their outdoor dining capacity for the summer of 2021. The grant covers outdoor tables, chairs, umbrellas, electric heaters, screen/windbreaks, plant stands and wooden platforms and is open to attractions, hotels, restaurants, cafes, public houses or other tourism and hospitality business establishments where food is sold for consumption on the premises.   The maximum grant €4,000 per premises at 75% of cost (exclusive of VAT). Expenditure must be between 01.04.20 and 30.09.21 and funding under the scheme is only available to existing businesses. More information on the scheme and an application form is available here. https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/business/enterprise/business-support/outdoor-seating-and-accessories-scheme/

All applicants to the outdoor Seating and Accessories scheme will be required to comply with planning codes, legislative requirements and other compliance requirements, and if placing outdoor tables and seating on the public realm, businesses must first apply for and be granted a Section 254 licence. Information on how to apply for a Section 254 licence is available here. https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/planning/section-254-licences/section-254-licences.html

 

  1. Rates waiver

 SDCC provided a waiver of commercial rates for the first quarter of 2021 equivalent of 25 per cent of the annual rates bill for 2021.

In addition the Local Enterprise Office is continuing to provide grant and general support across the following:-

  1. Trading on Line Voucher 
  2. Buisiness Support Fund / Shop Front Grants for improvement to refurbishment of business premises / retail units
  3. One to One Mentoring to clients to guide and support businesses re-start with particular focus in the area of :-
    • Financial Supports – Cash Flow mangement / Loans
    • Sales & Marketing
    • HR / Health & Safety
    • Digitisation /
    • Export & Internationalisation

The Government guidance on the wide range of supports available to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis is a key source of information and this should be the first port of call for any business given the range of general supports that are still available and sector specific supports also. See link below

Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie)