Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That campaign will be very welcome. We also need to get the message across to people that this is needed not just in the run-in to Christmas but beyond Christmas because we are probably facing a difficult 2021. It will be a difficult year. I hope that, as jobs start opening up and money starts circulating again, the position will improve.

One issue that needs to be addressed is the rates charged by local authorities. Unfortunately, many local authorities are going through their budgets this week and they will have a shortfall. They cannot do anything about that and those with which I am familiar have been very creative in trying to keep the books balanced and local services functioning. Local authorities do not yet have certainty. It is important that they have certainty because this is directly related to local retail trade. Retailers, particularly those that have been closed down for a sustained period such as hairdressers and other services, will not be in a position to get up and running and to start paying rates again next year. Certainty is needed on this issue at this point in time.

See this speech in context