Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the importance of the industry in the Deputy's region of the south east. There is huge further potential there. In regard to our plan and our roadmap, which is available since last Friday, the reality is that we are planning in the context of not knowing how this global pandemic will develop. There are a huge number of moving parts. Yes, we want to have our plan ready as early as possible and have it fed into by as many people with the relevant expertise as possible, but it is not quite as simple as put out a plan and off we go. We do not know exactly where we are going to be in three months. We have our hopes and aspirations in regard to where we want to be but, as we know, all the phases in the roadmap are dependent primarily on the public health scenario at those times. That is the context in which we are working and it is changing and evolving rapidly.

In regard to rates, the situation will be reviewed further in June. I welcome the initial movement in regard to the scrapping of rates for the three months from March to June. That is positive and I certainly would like to see it happening further into the future if people are not able to get back to anywhere near normality in regard to their businesses. This is something we will be working on and liaising on with our colleagues in the relevant Department.

In regard to the grants issue the Deputy raised, any supports that can be given to enterprises that are viable to help them to get through this period, our Department is, of course, seeking support to deliver them.

The Deputy referred to an extra bank holiday. Coming from a county that is so dependent on tourism, I have felt for a long time that an additional bank holiday, either in the earlier part of the year or the tail end of the year, would be very helpful. I see the economic benefits that come from bank holidays. The tail end of the year would probably be better as we have a lot together in the early part of the year with St. Patrick's Day, Easter and May.

See this speech in context