Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and I know he has genuinely pursued it for quite some time. I spoke to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, about this and I take fully on board the necessity to do something for taxi drivers and people in similar positions who may not have come under the ambit of the restart grant. I specifically mention people who could not be included in the rates-based system where supports could be administered in the way we did for many small enterprises and businesses.

The Government is considering how to combine the PUP with some measures that would enable people in such positions, such as those in the arts sector, where the level of activity is much lower than it would have been prior to the onset of Covid-19, to earn additional income without losing the basic payment. That is something I have asked the Government to look at and we are engaging on that. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, met taxi representative groups last week. He is clear in the view that they will not be stopped from using or banned from quality bus corridors. He made the point clearly to me this morning that it was not on the agenda at all and he was a bit nonplussed as to how it got on the agenda to start with. He has said it will not happen with regard to BusConnects and has been very clear about that.

The Deputy raised other matters and the waiving of late renewal fees has been implemented until March 2021. The Minister is open to meeting representatives of the industry. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Tánaiste and others are genuinely interested in seeing what we can do to respond to a genuine need.

I am not arguing with the nuts and bolts of what the Deputy has presented. There are still some sectors which have nowhere near the same degree of business activity that they once had because of Covid-19 and Government mandates based on public health advice. Their incomes have fallen dramatically as a result. Some people may encounter problems if they discontinue the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment for a few work projects because they may find that unsustainable in the medium term. I understand that. There is a need to do something about it.

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