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

I thank the Deputy for those questions. I will deal with the maternity leave issue.

I explained earlier that I am considering options to see whether we can resolve this matter because the legislation as drafted was absolutely seeking to treat everybody equally in a time of great need. In all of the different issues now being raised regarding the operation of the scheme, please let us also recognise that well over 400,000 citizens are now availing of the scheme. If they were not, the companies for which they work might no longer be around. It has been an invaluable intervention in supporting our economy at a time of huge strain.

I will see whether it is possible for the Deputy to get information on the so-called offshore status of companies. It may not be. He will appreciate the challenge that I face is that if those companies are employing people in Ireland, I want those citizens to continue to have jobs. That is what I was seeking to respond to.

In the context of the point the Deputy made about dividend payments, we have a number of criteria in respect of the pandemic stabilisation fund to deal with some of the issues to which he referred. If the State goes all the way towards providing credit at a very low rate to companies or goes so far as to take an equity state in companies, the issues to which the Deputy referred will be very important. We need to ensure that companies act appropriately and are not advantaging themselves or their shareholders at a time at which the Government ends up playing a significant role in their affairs.

On the point made about the future of the various income supports, as the Minister for Finance who, along with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty and the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation,Deputy Humphreys, introduced all of the supports, I am absolutely aware of the important role they play. I know that where the Deputy will differ with me is that I am also of the view that we have to find a way in which we can afford these types of measures in the future.

With regard to the various groups to which the Deputy referred, to be honest I cannot give an indication to him that I will be able to meet all of them. Many Ministers are meeting groups at present and, in turn, those Ministers are meeting me.

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