Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response

Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery

Photo of John McGuinnessJohn McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With respect to Mr. Moran, I know that analysis. I am asking him to comment on the fact that the €100 million is not €6 billion. Is that the fault of the construction of the scheme by the Civil Service? Mr. Moran has insight into this because he worked there and he might be able to tell us. Will he tell us why the banks, which are owned by the State, are not lending properly and appropriately to the business sector? Will he tell us what response he has got from the Government?

Somebody is at fault here and the sector is dying on its feet. The response from the Government and the civil servants has been so bad that the schemes they have in place are simply not working. Will the witness please comment on why that is the case? Is this related to the Civil Service and how it interprets policy or is there something else wrong? Going back to Deputy Shanahan and the commentary from this committee over recent weeks, are microbusinesses seen as fiddling taxes and making profits? I know people in these businesses who are on their knees and we seem to think that is okay when it is not. The witness has made a presentation today and I fully support what he is saying, but why is it that the place he worked previously is not responding in the constructive way one might expect in an emergency?

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