Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At that particular point, the Government was trying to revise the public health guidance that was available to the country. We were trying to prioritise the public health of our country. Again, the suggestion that the Government had in mind anything but the well-being and health of the constituents Deputy Mattie McGrath mentions belittles the seriousness of this issue. I absolutely understand that there are citizens who are deeply worried about their health and are feeling the consequences on their mental health of the terrible period the country has gone through. They are worried about their financial well-being and their homes. I understand that as well as Deputy Mattie McGrath does. However, that is the reason so much has been done to try to support them at a time of need. I will not go through the full list of measures that were introduced out of deference to the point you made, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, about trying to get through the Bill in full.

On the points made by Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, I understand the issue he raised about seasonal workers. The Deputy raised it with me previously and I appreciate its importance. Notwithstanding the important point raised by Deputy McNamara, which I hope we will get to debate later, we have introduced a fundamental change in the wage subsidy scheme to deal with seasonal workers. As the Deputy correctly said, in the current scheme one has to have been working on a particular day in February and the issue he raised is a consequence of that. We have changed the wage subsidy scheme to deal with that matter. It is now a more open and broad scheme. Of course, it has issues and limitations which we will discuss, but we made that change in recognition of the issue the Deputy raised.

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