Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too will be voting for the measures later today. I am only sorry there are not a lot more, because people out there need more help and more funding.

I am hopeful the July stimulus package will include such things as a positive reduction in rates or a waiver where people have accounts showing they did not make any money at all. A suspension is out of order because that is only kicking the can further down the road. A waiver or a reduction is the proper way. Small and medium businesses will have to get grants and interest-free loans. I was glad that some businesses in Killarney and around the Ring of Kerry started to reopen yesterday and today.

I look forward to more of them doing so in the coming days and weeks ahead. As Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has already said, when we see nothing happening in places such as Killarney, Castleisland, Dingle, Cahersiveen, the Ring of Kerry, Sneem and Kenmare it will take a massive effort to get them up and running again and they will need every help and assistance they can get.

The temporary wage subsidy and the pandemic payment are being used by AIB and other banks to deprive couples of the mortgages for which they have worked so hard to put a roof over their heads. We also hear these banks state they will disallow commission payments or overtime payments. I call on the Government, the new Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance to deal with these fellows. We bailed them out when they were in trouble.

I hope there will be funding for the seasonal workers, bus drivers and hotel workers who did not get the pandemic payment and were left behind. Those aged over 66 who employed people were also left behind. This was wrong and I ask the Tánaiste to address it in the July stimulus package. These people were left behind. Their stamps have run out and they will not qualify for jobseeker's payments or any other benefits. This has to be addressed in the July stimulus package because they have been desperately wronged and they have been left behind. I appeal to the Tánaiste to do this.

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