Mr. Shane Dunne:

I will add to what Ms O'Connor has said and pick out elements from the questions posed by Deputy Ó Cuív. One element is rates. There are several non-funded venues and theatres, including places like the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, the Gaiety Theatre, the Olympia Theatre and numerous others throughout the country that have exceptionally high rates bills and are currently paying them in full. Those theatres are empty. The seats are empty. The staff are not there.

Deputy Ó Cuív asked a question about the pandemic unemployment payment. The nature of this business is that it is one day here, three days there and four days somewhere else. The big issue will be that as things start to reopen slowly, a person might pick up a day's work or two days of work. Will that person then be removed from the Covid-19 payment or the wage subsidy scheme? My understanding is that it could be up to six weeks before that person could get back onto it. That will make it difficult.

The €10,000 grant may be awarded on a case-by-case basis. It will be far too low for a multitude of businesses.