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

I am representing my party and I am the Minister for Finance in the Government which has at all times sought to do the right thing by those who are facing such difficulties and those who are experiencing the crisis of Covid-19. Deputy Doherty is at it again. He is referring to Italy but, in the comparison he is making, will he point to the fact that, during the moratorium in Italy, only repayments on the principal were suspended while interest payments still had to be made? He also made a comparison to Spain. As I put to the Deputy earlier, to access the measures implemented in Spain, a person must have had a very significant fall in income. In Ireland, we moved quickly to put in place breaks which were needed and which affected tens of thousands of families and many thousands of businesses. I am well aware of the anxiety, pressure and fear that so many are facing. That is why the employment wage subsidy scheme was continued. That is why the Deputy will have heard the Government and Central Bank, over the weekend and recent days, making clear that funding and flexibility exist to put in place the right arrangements for the families and businesses that need them.

See this speech in context