Sir, – I was extremely disappointed to read your report that Minister of Finance Paschal Donohue has no plans to extend eligibility of the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme ("No plans to extend eligibility criteria for CRSS, says Minister", Business, January 28th).
I own and run a small wholesale bottler business from which we supply the pubs, restaurants, and hotels of west Kerry with draught beers and soft drinks. While all of our customers have been forced to shut their doors, some of which will never open again, according to Mr Donohue I am open for business from my fixed premises, and therefore do not qualify for CRSS. Many of the retailers in Ireland, forced to close, can still maintain an online trade, and qualify for the scheme providing they do not exceed 25 per cent sales figures. However, I am precluded by law from supplying alcoholic beverages to anyone other than on-trade publicans, and while they remain closed, my business has no source of income.
There are a number of other wholesale businesses in the same predicament, and sadly I don’t see any prospect of us being able to trade for a few months yet. It seems incongruous that we are ineligible for CRSS, and I would ask the Minister to amend this immediately. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS ASHE,
T&J Ashe Ltd,
Dingle, Co Kerry.