Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I accept that not all companies have, but a lot of companies do. Therefore, the proposal would not have any greater impact in many of those.

I appreciate the difficulties Deputies have in dealing with this issue at short notice, but we all have the best intentions to try to support companies that have run into terrible difficulties. This time last year one would not have envisaged that we would be dealing with this situation at all. In changing the order of priorities and particularly in setting up the State scheme, we will at least give some relief to existing workers. I know it is not anything like what people are looking for, but at least it goes some way towards it.

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