Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform says that if people work less they should be paid less pro rata. Obviously, we have to look after people so there are financial supports through the pandemic unemployment payment and so on. Will Mr. Doyle check this? I do not expect him to know the answer today.

I believe the Property Registration Authority is under the remit of the Department. In answers to me from the authority and from another source providing me with information I have learned there are approximately 202 working hard remotely. That is working well. The remaining 345 are split into team A and team B. The alternate teams work two days one week and three days the following week and vice versa, but all are paid full salary.

I am aware of the directions from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I understand the sort of evolution to try to help people on the one hand and keep the whole operation afloat on the other. I gather in this case it has not evolved to the extent that it is an official line. I appreciate that Mr. Doyle may not have the answer today because it is not the subject matter of today's meeting, but I wanted to use our time efficiently. Since Mr. Doyle is here I said we would take advantage of it. Can Mr. Doyle come back to us to confirm whether people are getting full salary for part-time work as a result of Covid-19? It is not the fault of the workers. It is our fault as a State if we are presiding over such a situation. I do not believe it is right, if that is the case. I will park that point with Mr. Doyle.

I have one final question on the vacant site levy. I know this is an issue for the Department of Finance in the main. Again, with Covid-19 this year there are issues where someone may have bought a site and closed the sale in November 2019. The person may have proceeded through the planning and so on this year. He may not be there yet, as is often the case for a larger-scale development. However, from 1 January 2021 the person will be levied. In many instances, the cost would be tens of thousands of euro. Is there any scope or can there be any scope with this? I know local authorities do not have discretion on this. Is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in discussion with the Department of Finance on any sort of accommodation for people who have been affected by lockdown in terms of the progress they would normally have made?