Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom tacú le rún mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Dochartaigh, maidir leis an scéim seo a leathnú amach. Tá a fhios againn ar fad, agus athbhreithniú ar an scéim á dhéanamh againn inniu, go bhfuil sé tábhachtach breathnú ar an méid a d'oibrigh an scéim ach caithfimid breathnú chomh maith ar an méid nár oibrigh sé. Ar ndóigh, tá roinnt gnólachtaí ann faoi láthair nach bhfuil i dteideal na scéime seo agus tá sé sin fíordheacair ar na gnólachtaí sin. Tá súil agam go mbreathnóidh an tAire air seo agus go ndéanfar rud éigin faoi mar níl sé sách maith go bhfuil roinnt gnólachtaí amuigh ansin nach bhfuil i dteideal na scéime seo.

I support the amendment by my colleague, Deputy Doherty, in respect of expanding this scheme to include those businesses which have not been included in it. I also want to raise my concerns about the scheme. The scheme obviously aims to support businesses during the higher levels of lockdown. For those businesses in receipt of it, the CRSS is undoubtedly an essential source of revenue which is keeping them afloat during these difficult times. However, many businesses are unable to receive payment under the scheme and, as a result, their future viability is on the line. We raised this anomaly with the Minister previously during the course of the Finance Bill and I wrote to him on 5 January to highlight this but, unfortunately, nothing has changed.

I was relieved to read over the weekend that the Tánaiste and the Government are deliberating over whether to expand the CRSS. It is high time to stop deliberating and act on this because these businesses are really under pressure. We saw that when the scheme was launched in October, it was expected to cost €80 million per week. However, my colleague, Deputy Doherty, has highlighted that it costs, on average, less than €15 million per week. In other words, the scheme has cost approximately 18% of what was first estimated. Surely, therefore, that means there should be a re-examination of those businesses that have been excluded to this point and which are struggling to keep afloat. These are the businesses which do not have premises. The guidelines on the operation of the Covid restrictions support scheme clearly state that "a business premises is [the] building, or similar fixed physical structure, in which a business activity is ordinarily carried on." Therefore, boats, for example, are excluded on the basis that they are mobile. However, boats that work as tourist attractions may appear mobile but, in reality, they are based in a specific place where they provide that attraction and do not move from there.

One company based in north Connemara raised this issue with me. I was informed that business was down by 80%. The company is based in a rural area and employs ten people. The latter makes it a key employer for the area. The company is frustrated because while tourist attractions often encourage tourists to visit and stay in specific areas, it feels it has been completely forgotten and is not getting sufficient support to enable it to survive. As the Minister can imagine, there is major concern regarding businesses of this nature and of the rural areas in which they are based, which simply need the jobs they create. This anomaly needs to be addressed and I ask him to fix it as a matter of urgency.

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