Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I have covered a number of different matters with Deputies in responding to their questions. When I take the stability programme update to the Government and have it agreed I would like to be in a position to update Dáil Éireann on it. I believe it is appropriate that I am able to inform the House regarding where we are with the total level of support that is being made available to the economy and also with the Government's view regarding the impact of this disease on our economy in 2020 and beyond. I believe it is very important that the House is aware of that to influence discussions that may happen in the future regarding this House, to colour contributions Deputies may wish to make regarding what a recovery plan could look like and also to inform demands that are being placed upon them regarding additional resources and the additional spending of taxpayers' money. Before that happens, it is very important that everybody is clear regarding where the economy stands now and where it might be able to move to in the second half of this year and in 2021.

I conclude by offering my condolences, as many others have done, to those who have lost their lives so far as a result of this dreadful disease. I also want to thank all those who are on the front line in trying to keep all of us safe and combating the spread of this disease to families and across communities.

I emphasise that I will look at what kind of measures are needed to move the economy into a better place in which it gets people back to work again and which will see incomes rebuilt again. The measures in place now are exceptional. We can afford them now because of the quality of our public finances entering the crisis, but we would not be able to afford them indefinitely. We want to be in a position where we can ensure we can get our economy back to work and ensure the public health guidance being offered is implemented. The first step towards economic recovery is the recovery of our public health. Because of how we entered into this crisis, we are in a position that we can now afford the kind of measures being put in place. I look forward to working with the Dáil to see what kind of measures we need to put in place in future to see our economy recover and to see the many sectors of our economy get to a far better place than they are currently, and most of all to see the 500,000 now claiming income support and without work, who never thought they would be in this position and never thought they would have to access a pandemic payment, back to work, to get small companies open again and to get employers of all sizes back to employing people and contributing to the recovery of our economy.

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