Social Democrats launch survey for local businesses

The Longford Westmeath branch of the Social Democrats has launched a survey of businesses in the two counties in order to better understand the needs of local enterprises, how they have been impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic, and how they can be helped going forward.

A spokesperson outlined why the branch has launched the survey:

"Covid-19 has had a huge impact on small local businesses which many people rely on as a source of employment and for goods and services. The pandemic is affecting everyone differently and the impact has not been felt equally across all sectors or regions. While there have been many Government supports and support coming from County Councils, there are many businesses that have fallen between the cracks and this is causing a lot of anxiety for many owners who have put so much of their own time and money into building their business.

"We are calling on any business owner in counties Longford and Westmeath to take part in the 10-minute survey which will be used (confidentially) to build a case for more targeted supports to businesses in the area. Crucially, the survey will help identify what Government supports have worked but also what specific supports businesses need to either continue trading, to reopen or to manage the transition as the economy reopens," the spokesperson said.

The survey is GDPR compliant and fully anonymous and will run until June 25. It can be accessed on the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages of the branch, which are available at @SocDemsLW