Special financial assistance will be announced in the budget for businesses that have collapsed in COVID pandemic

DUBLIN: In the wake of the COVID spread, there are indications that the government will announce increased financial assistance to businesses that have had to close down as per the order.

Financial assistance is provided on a weekly or monthly basis as part of the government’s compensation plan.

However, it is not yet clear how much will be allocated for financial assistance.

It is also proposed to increase the commercial rates holiday for next year to expand businesses.

The budget will increase the carbon tax to €7.50 per tonne, adding €1.28 to an average 60-litre tank of petrol and €1.47 to a tank of diesel.

The hike in petrol and diesel prices will take effect from midnight on the day the budget is announced.

At the same time, the vehicle registration tax will be raised in the budget to encourage people to buy more fuel-efficient cars.

Funds will be announced in the budget for about 400 teachers and about 1,000 assistants for special education needs.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Niall Collins said he expects some significant changes to be made in Tuesday’s budget on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Collins, however, said at the event presented by RTE that some people and areas were excluded from the current plan.

Catherine Murphy, a co – leader of the Social Democrats who attended the same event, said the minister was only talking about qualifications and not about rates.

Attending the event were Ms Murphy, Sinn Féin enterprise spokesperson Louise O’Reilly and Solidarity/People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett, who called for the PUP to be restructured.

Collins, meanwhile, said the government was committed to reviving businesses and people who had lost their jobs in the COVID pandemic and had set aside the necessary funds.