Hundreds of restaurants face being cut off from Covid supports because of a Revenue loophole.
Many eateries and kitchens will also not be reopening in Level 3 because the ongoing restrictions limiting customers and opening hours make it unviable.
These companies were able to keep their businesses afloat and keep employees on the books with the help of the Government’s CRSS (Covid Restrictions Support Scheme) payments.
But now they will not be able to claim it anymore because under Level 3 if you can welcome customers back onto your premises, and you don’t, CRSS will be cut off.
A week’s grace has been granted, but the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) believes it is unfair that thousands now face the prospect of losing their support just when they need it most.
RAI chief executive, Adian Cummins, is calling for the loophole to be closed to save Christmas for restaurant workers.
He told the Irish Mirror: “We have a number of gastropub members whose revenue split between food and alcohol is 50 / 50 and some given their tourist and rural location see it as unviable to open over Christmas.
“For these individual businesses the cut off for CRSS would technically have been Monday 30th November and as per last week’s announcement they will get no CRSS until 7th January or later.
“From 7 January, the measures put in place prior to 18 December will apply, subject to ongoing review of the trajectory of the virus.
“If they do get the additional CRSS week for ‘reopening’ then they get no supports for at minimum 5 weeks and possibly more.”
A spokesman for Revenus told the Irish Mirror: “Where businesses can reopen without having to prohibit to significantly restrict access to their premises as outlined in the relevant public health regulations, they no longer qualify for CRSS.
“In recognition that it may take some time and additional costs for businesses to re-open, the Minister for Finance last week announced an enhancement to the CRSS whereby businesses can make a claim for an additional one week payment to assist them in reopening after a period of Covid restrictions.
“Businesses who are registered for CRSS can make their claim for this additional payment via the eRepayments service in ROS. Payment will be made generally within 3 days of the submission of a qualifying claim.”
