Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I add my voice to that of my colleague, an Teachta Doherty, in support of the Sinn Féin amendment, which seeks the expansion of the CRSS. Since budget day, when the CRSS was announced, Sinn Féin has highlighted the limitations within the scheme and has consistently argued that it should include all businesses that have seen their turnover fall by 75% or more. Under the current scheme, only businesses with fixed premises and reduced footfall as a result of restrictions can qualify for the scheme. Not a day goes by in which a business owner does not call or email my office asking about the scheme and why his or her business is excluded from it. Most of them think it is a mistake by Revenue that they are excluded and they are shocked to find out that it is the Government that is locking them out of this much-needed financial support. It is a testimony to the effectiveness of the scheme that there are so many people on the outside of it who want to get into it.

Last October, at the enterprise committee, I outlined the problems with the CRSS and called on the Tánaiste to expand the scheme to cater for those businesses that are still excluded. In November, Teachta Doherty highlighted the limitations of the CRSS directly to the Minister for Finance. Following on from the debate at the enterprise committee, I wrote to the Tánaiste restating my concerns with the scheme and outlining further the businesses and sectors excluded from the scheme that need to be brought into its remit. On numerous occasions, Teachta Doherty and I have raised these matters on the floor of the Dáil or through parliamentary questions. We have pushed for the inclusion of companies such as suppliers, event management companies, businesses without fixed premises and many others that have fallen through the cracks within the scheme. The fact that the scheme has not been expanded shows that it is Government policy to exclude certain suppliers, event management companies, businesses without fixed premises and many others from this scheme. The CRSS is averaging a spend of less than €15 million per week, compared with the expected cost of €80 million. This further reinforces that it is Government policy to exclude those businesses, which, in turn, puts them and, more importantly, the jobs they provide, at risk. That is just not acceptable.

Despite our efforts, there has been little wider reform of the scheme to protect suffering businesses. The Government's dithering on the matter is putting more and more businesses and more and more jobs at risk by the day. I read with interest the Tánaiste's comments, as reported in The Business Postat the weekend, about expanding the scheme. I am glad that it is under consideration. However, is this the speed we can expect from the Government in this regard? We are four months behind everybody else. If the Tánaiste was as quick to protect businesses as he was to contradict the advice from NPHET, this matter could and should have been, resolved months ago. The Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance and the Government need to stop talking about reforming the scheme and just go ahead and do it. The need for reform is obvious. It has been pointed out to them on more than one occasion. In fact, the limitations have been pointed out consistently. The Government expected that there would be a greater drawdown. I ask the Minister to note that the fact there has not been is the result of an issue with the scheme.

See this speech in context