Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In response to the Deputy's earlier contribution, I meant to acknowledged the support he has given to the temporary wage subsidy scheme and to the pandemic unemployment payment. We are in the situation with this Estimate where four fifths of our spending has already been reached. We need to ensure that this Estimate is passed for the very people the Deputy talks about, namely, nurses and public servants who are on different levels of pay, and to ensure we can pay salaries and pensions next week or shortly after that. If we go over that four fifths limit the Government will not have the power to do that. The Government responded initially, and I thank the Deputy for his support, by way of some €16 billion to shore up this economy and to ensure it did not go down the tubes like it did in 2008. We will continuing on that road today.

It is also important to point out that in respect of the two schemes the Deputy referenced, 50,000 people came off them at the last count and 35,000 people off them at the count before. We are getting people back to work, which needs to be acknowledged.

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