Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Tánaiste on his new role. First, can a timeframe be given as to when or if any guidelines that will be required to be put in place for those businesses in the hospitality industry that do not serve food will be issued? Will those businesses be given notice to implement such requirements as they prepare to reopen their businesses?

Second, I wish to ask the Tánaiste about redundancies. Currently, anyone who is to be made redundant cannot claim for the redundancy prior to 10 August. Is this to be extended, and can guidelines be made available to employees as to what their liability is in this regard? I understand that businesses that close cannot have their employees on wage subsidies prior to a redundancy claim. Can we get confirmation on this? It is so important, now that businesses are reopened, that we all shop local and support our businesses, particularly our smaller ones. It is also important that we all work together to make sure that all the small rural areas, such as in my home county of Carlow, including Tullow and Bagenalstown, survive this because it has had an effect on all of us. Perhaps the Tánaiste could come back to me on those two questions.

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