Fáilte Ireland has announced that minister for media, tourism, arts, culture, sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin has launched a new €26 million COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, the aim of which is to help hospitality and tourism businesses offset some of the costs of adapting their premises and/or operations for reopening.
The fund, which covers costs such as barrier and protective screen, outdoor area development, personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitiser costs, is being administered by Fáilte Ireland, and applications can be submitted between now and October 8.
"Another Key Action"
Minister Martin, who secured funding for the fund as part of the government's July Jobs Stimulus Package, stated, "This investment of €26 million is another key action the government has taken to support and sustain the tourism sector at this critical time. The fund will help eligible businesses to offset some of the costs required in adapting premises and operations in line with Fáilte Ireland reopening guidelines, and applications are now open."
"Sustaining And Supporting The Tourism Sector"
Meanwhile, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly commented, "The €26 million COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, available [now] through Fáilte Ireland, provides financial support to help eligible businesses with the costs of adapting their premises or operations. Following an independent assessment of the potential costs of implementing Fáilte Ireland's guidelines for reopening, a sliding scale was developed to ensure a proportionate grant amount was allocated to different types of businesses. We estimate that 12,000 businesses will be eligible to apply, making it the largest ever fund that we have administered to date. Our focus is on sustaining and supporting the tourism sector through this crisis."
More information about the fund can be found on Fáilte Ireland's official website.
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