Date: 20 July 2021
Green Party TD, Steven Matthews was speaking following the deadline extension for applications for this grant funding which has been pushed out until August 3rd. The Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) funding is targeted at all those in this industry that have suffered a significant drop in income due to the pandemic and for various reasons have not qualified for other business schemes. Discussing the issue, Deputy Matthews said:
“I spoke in recent weeks in the Dáil chamber to Minister Catherine Martin, who is responsible for the rollout of the MEBAS scheme and at that time, her Department had received fewer than 700 applications for funding. I was disappointed that the uptake had been so low, given that there is €14 million available for drawdown nationally. I’m concerned that not enough is known about the funding and I would ask anyone who works in music/ entertainment and has been negatively impacted by the pandemic to investigate the scheme. This grant has been designed to include people and businesses that could not qualify for other business supports so I wouldn’t take a rejection for a previous government supports as any indication of whether you will qualify for MEBAS.
The funding strands are below and apply only to those who work in the live entertainment sector:
Strand A - €2,500 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €20,000 - €50,000 with minimum business costs of €3,000 incurred from 1 April 2020 to 31 May 2021.
Strand B - €4,000 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €50,001- €100,000 with minimum business costs of €6,000 from 1 April 2020 to 31 May 2021.
Strand C - €5,000 for businesses with VAT-exclusive turnover in excess of €100,000 with minimum business costs of €7,500 from 1 April 2020 to 31 May 2021.
“I have met with musicians, production crew and sound engineers from across Wicklow since the start of the pandemic and recently held a public meeting to discuss the impact of the pandemic on their businesses. The damage that Covid-19 has done and continues to do to this sector is extraordinary and from the very beginning I argued that this industry amongst others should be targeted with specific grant funding to reflect the nearly 100% drop in income that many people faced.
“The final closing date is August 3rd so applications need to be submitted quickly but anyone who is having difficulty in applying for the MEBAS scheme or needs clarity on any aspect of the funding can get in touch with me and I would be more than happy to help, concluded Deputy Matthews.
Comments