Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Supplementary)

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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A number of supports have been provided to businesses across a range of grants to assist in their efforts to deal with Covid and Brexit. Tomorrow, a Bill relating to ventilation will be discussed in the House. While there have been numerous supports through the restart grants and the various funds, we have not detailed how that money should be spent on any individual part of the business. We have engaged directly with many sectors and they have had a range of requests for funding for various supports. We have responded as best we can, but we do not specify what that money must be spent on.

The back-to-work protocol contains guidance and advice on what we believe the money should be spent on in order to make the workplace secure for employees to return and for customers to come in. Part of that advice and guidance relates to ventilation. I do not have the document with me to refer to. However, we can discuss it tomorrow during the debate on the Bill. I know Deputy Paul Murphy has a particular interest in this area and I look forward to hearing his views tomorrow as we tease through the Bill.