Press release
Ministers extend deadline for haulier support scheme to 6 June
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Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister of State with special responsibility for haulage and logistics Hildegarde Naughton today announced the extension of the closing date for receipt of completed applications for the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme (‘the Scheme’) to 6 June 2022.
Commenting on the extension, Minister Ryan said:
"In mid-March 2022, in light of the sudden increase in fuel costs associated with the crisis in Ukraine, Minister Naughton and I proposed to Government an emergency support measure –the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme - to provide financial and liquidity support to the licensed haulage sector. To date over €13 million has issued to more than 2,800 operators under the Scheme to help to ease the impact of fuel price increases. We know, however, that a significant number have not yet applied for the scheme. We have extended the application period so that we can make every effort to contact these operators to allow them more time to apply.”
Minister of State with special responsibility for haulage and logistics Hildegarde Naughton said:
"While almost 3,000 operators have so far benefitted from the scheme, today’s announcement reflects that there are still some nine hundred licensed haulage operators who have not yet applied for the Scheme. The haulage sector has shown incredible resilience throughout the unprecedented challenges presented by Brexit and COVID-19 in recent years; ensuring that the shelves in our supermarkets and pharmacies do not run empty. It is only right that Government responded quickly to the specific impact that the energy crisis is having on the haulage industry and support hauliers as they navigate this latest challenge. My officials in the Department of Transport will now write to each operator at their registered address in order to afford them a final opportunity to make an application - the closing date for receipt of completed applications is therefore extended to the 6th of June 2022.”
In addition to the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme, the Diesel Rebate Scheme remains available to licensed haulage operators in respect of vehicles with a gross laden weight of not less than 7.5 tonnes. Furthermore, a reduction in Excise duty of 20 cent on petrol and 15 cent on diesel, benefitting all citizens and businesses has recently been extended out to Budget Day.
Since early March with the benefit of the Excise reduction and the certainty of 8 weeks support under the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme, haulage businesses will have had the opportunity to revise and renegotiate contracts with their clients to reflect increased prices, as is happening in all sectors across the economy.
Current high fuel prices arise due to international factors outside the control of Government, and State resources are unfortunately finite but with the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme, the Diesel Rebate Scheme and the general Excise reduction, the government has responded to support the haulage sector which is of key strategic importance to the country.
The Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme is a targeted and temporary grant scheme that will provide a payment of €100 per week for 8 weeks for every heavy goods vehicle (over 3.5 tonnes) as listed on a road haulage operator’s licence as of 11 March 2022.
More information can be found here: Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme
Application forms have been provided directly to Licensed Hauliers by email using the email address held on file by the Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit (‘RTOL’) in Loughrea. The Department of Transport is now issuing letters to operators yet to apply at their registered address with RTOL.
Final application deadline for the Scheme is now close of business Monday, 6 June 2022.
More information on the Government’s excise reduction measure can be found here.
More information on the Diesel Rebate Scheme can be found here.