Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister will know, I have campaigned very strongly for people who work in the arts, music and live entertainment and for taxi drivers. These people had their incomes and employment possibilities virtually extinguished or dramatically reduced as a result of the Covid measures. This will continue as long as we have any form of restrictions at all. It is not only an issue under levels 3, 4 and 5, it also arises in the context of levels 1 and 2. Am I to understand that those without a premises cannot make claims, even if they are lone traders or self-employed in those, or similar, categories? Such people may have ongoing fixed costs but they do not have rateable premises and so, therefore, will not get this support. If that is the case, why? I would like clarity on that point.

I echo the question asked as to why the Minister has chosen to provide this support as an advance tax credit rather than as a direct grant to cover costs. I am not sure why he would do this. In fact, it seems more complicated than a direct grant system. It is, arguably, more open to abuse. I am not sure why the Minister would do it this way.

With regard to the amendments we have tabled, we obviously want to do everything possible and we support schemes that are about keeping employment going and ensuring that people have employment to go back to when restrictions are eased or are completely removed. We support the thrust of the scheme insofar as it benefits some businesses that have been carrying those costs. That was unsustainable and, as a consequence, they may have closed and jobs might have been lost. The objective behind the scheme is worthy.

However, it is also the case that there needs to be oversight for companies that do not need the help or that are not, as a quid pro quo, treating and paying their employees properly or giving them proper conditions of employment. There must be some oversight to make sure that companies that refuse to recognise trade unions, for example, or that have substantial cash reserves and can well afford to cover some of their ongoing costs in these scenarios, are not benefiting from something they do not need. That is the logic of our other amendments in that regard.