Minister for media, tourism, arts, culture, sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin has launched an €8 million support scheme for B&Bs that do not pay rates to their local authority.
Through the scheme, which is called the Restart Grant Plus for B&Bs and which is being administered by Fáilte Ireland on behalf of the department of business, enterprise and innovation, grants of €4,000 will be available to B&Bs that do not pay local authority rates to assist with the costs of reopening and business operations.
B&Bs in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly will receive an increased grant amount of €4,800 due to the public health measures introduced in August by the government to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in those counties.
"A Key Element Of The Government's July Jobs Stimulus Package"
Martin stated, "The Restart Grant Plus is a key element of the government's July Jobs Stimulus package, and up to €8 million has been ring fenced to support B&Bs. This is another critical action the government is taking to help support and sustain the tourism sector at this devastating time. I would urge eligible B&Bs to apply online without delay."
Meanwhile, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly commented, "Economically, tourism was hit hardest and will take the longest to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Our focus is on sustaining the sector and supporting businesses to open and operate safely as we move through the pandemic.
"We welcomed the government's decision to extend the Restart Grant to B&Bs as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package and we look forward to working with the B&B sector as we administer it. This grant will help B&B owners with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures."
Two Phases
Applications for the Restart Grant Plus for B&Bs will be processed in two phases.
Applications for B&Bs under the National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF), through direct approval by Fáilte Ireland, are open between now and October 28, 2020.
Further details on the application process for B&Bs that are not approved under the National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) will be announced shortly.
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