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

I thank the Deputy for raising those different questions. Regarding the future of the wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment, it is precisely because of my recognition of the challenges to which Deputy Doherty refers and the number of citizens who are facing those challenges that I played a role in introducing these schemes. I played a role in increasing the value of the pandemic unemployment payment and we introduced a wage subsidy scheme that is capable of supporting citizens at a time of need. I acknowledge the need that I agree with Deputy Doherty exists and which many citizens face with the threat of this pandemic. It is due to recognising that need that these payments were introduced. They were introduced at a time of emergency.

As regards their duration or how long they will continue, the Taoiseach and I indicated we will make that decision in the coming period because obviously clarity and certainty must be brought to bear for the citizens who currently depend on them. It is precisely because I, the Government and other Members of the House understand the challenge and need that citizens are facing after losing their jobs in a way and at a speed they did not think possible that we introduced the pandemic unemployment payment, increased it and introduced the wage subsidy scheme. We will be able to give clarity regarding how long they will continue when we make the decision on the duration.

When we make that decision, we will look to having schemes in place across the period of this great challenge, while also recognising that I and this Government, and the next Government, need to be able to ensure that they are affordable and that we can meet the needs of the citizens, as well as meeting the many other needs being presented to me at the moment.

I welcome what the Deputy said about acknowledging the need to bring to conclusion where we are in respect of the maternity leave issue that he and others have raised. It has taken some time to resolve it because of some of the complexity involved in it regarding the way the legislation was drafted but I committed to this House - I did so before I came into this House - that if there was a way of dealing with this matter I would work on that and try to find a way of doing that. I believe I will be able to do it but obviously this is a matter on which I will need to first update my colleagues in Cabinet.

In respect of re-imagining the kind of country we have and where we need to go to, amidst this time of great need and such difficulty for so many there is an opportunity to look at the kind of economy we want and how we can build upon some of what we have learned during this period of such crisis. I would say to the Deputy, however, that it is precisely because of the way we managed the economy over recent years, while acknowledging that for many it was still not satisfactory and did not meet their needs, and the decisions that were made to balance our books and because I, regrettably at that time, could not meet every need that was put to me at those points that we are now in a position where we are able to meet such exceptional needs at a time of such great pressure for so many.

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