Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Hopefully, I will be able to give the Minister some time to answer my questions. I will be as brief as possible. Disabled people are one of the groups most negatively affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Will the Government provide financial support for disabled people who are self-employed? We are looking for the Government to give more support to self-employed people to get them back to work and get their businesses open again. Disabled people who are self-employed are at a distinct disadvantage because there is no additional support for them.

What will the Minister and the Government do to help people, especially disabled people, who are self-employed to get their businesses up and running and to keep them running? I was contacted by a gentleman called Edward who is disabled and self-employed. He made a shocking statement to me when he said the biggest barrier to him being self-employed is a lack of action by the Government and a lack of support, and not his disability. His point was that he wants to work and contribute to society, and all is he asking of the Government is that it support him. The Government should be trying to support more disabled people to get back to work and, in particular, to be self-employed if they wish.

Will the Minister outline what the Government will do to support Debenhams workers since the liquidation of the company, and to tackle Debenhams to recoup the money the State will have to pay in redundancy and other payments to the workers as a result? There are serious questions to be asked about the set-up of Debenhams and how the assets are based in the UK while the liabilities are based in Ireland. My colleague, Deputy Paul Donnelly, and I are dealing with the Debenhams workers daily and how they have been treated by the company. Serious questions have to be answered by the Government in light of the Clerys debacle, the Vita Cortex dispute and other issues. Why was legislation not brought in to protect workers from companies doing this sort of thing?

Finally, I raise the issue of companies and small businesses that will try to get up and running now that the restrictions have been reduced. If they, unfortunately, cannot keep going, due either to restrictions or to a lack of business, will the employees be entitled to the Covid payment again? Will Debenhams employees and any other such workers be entitled to the Covid payment as long as it lasts?

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