Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. There is a significant focus at the moment on the July stimulus package and a lot of SME owners are waiting very anxiously for it. Some sectors have been hit harder than others by the Covid-19 pandemic and they are particularly anxious to see what will be announced next week. Private bus operators, small retail outlets, boutique owners and many others have suffered greatly during this period. We are hugely dependent in this country on the SME sector and the July stimulus will be critical in rebooting our economy following the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 65% of workers in the State are employed in SMEs, which means that getting the vast majority of those businesses back on an even keel is absolutely essential. They are anxiously awaiting next week's announcement.

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