Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be reasonable by taking 50 seconds if that is okay.

I will address the apparent contradiction raised by the Minister. The difficulty is that some seasonal businesses will, due to staycations, do well in the second half of this year, and perhaps achieve 70% or more of their normal business. However, taken over the 12 months of the year, the position will still be dire. The issue is the failure to take into account the first six months during which they were unable to claim the temporary wage subsidy scheme and incurred considerable losses, whether or not they qualify for payment. They accept that because of staycations and people not holidaying abroad, they will do well and could have 75% of their normal business. That figure is bad but it is dire when combined with a complete loss of business in the first half of the year. That is the difficulty and the anomaly I hoped might be addressed. On that basis, I will press the amendment.

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