Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The answer to the question is "Yes". If he looks at what we have done so far, I announced a package of approximately €12 billion to respond to the coronavirus. This is leaving aside the health costs. This approximately €12 billion is for supports for business and employees. Not all of this has been drawn down yet but the bulk of it that has been drawn down is the wage subsidy scheme, which subsidises the wages of workers, and the pandemic unemployment payment, which provides a welfare payment to people who have been laid off. The vast majority of the money we have spent so far has been targeted at people who have lost their jobs or people whose jobs only exist now because they are being subsidised.

The amount we have given to business in grants and loans is much less than that. In fact, I believe we need to do better in terms of the grants and loans we give to business, and we intend to do that next week. The focus has been on people who have lost their jobs and ensuring that more people do not lose their jobs.

Businesses do a great deal for us already. They create much employment and they pay a large amount of tax. We are able to fund our education, health and justice systems, as well as public infrastructure and everything else, from all the taxes businesses pay. I might be wrong about this and there may be exceptions but I do not believe there are many employers in this country who are taking advantage of this crisis to reduce people's wages or terms and conditions. There might be examples and we must expose and tackle those people, but in the vast majority of cases where employers are seeking pay reductions it is because they have no choice. Their business is down 50%, 60% or 70% and they will be in a loss making position this year. Part of what they must do to survive is reduce their costs, and it is very regrettable when that has to happen. However, it has to be better than the business failing and all those people being laid off.

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