Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to support the continuation of these important supports for jobs, businesses, our economy and our society generally. As the Minister has asserted time and again, and he reasserted the principle today, it is important that there not be a cliff edge through the withdrawal of these critical supports. As I did previously and as the Minister did today, I pay tribute to the staff in the Revenue Commissioners and across the public service and Civil Service for their hard work, innovation, dedication and effort in developing and implementing these important systems and schemes, literally overnight just over a year ago. They are owed a debt of gratitude from all of us. I hope that those who have made careers out of lambasting the public service reflect on that and on where the business community might be without these interventions, if the State had not asserted itself in the way it did when these awful circumstances arose just over a year ago.

When we say there will be no cliff edge to these supports we should also acknowledge that not all businesses will come through this period unscathed. That is true and we all accept it. I am anxious that efforts be made to establish a series of supports that will provide what I might call a set of stabilisers for businesses that can be viable again, but which will need customised and tailored supports over the next period of time to help them through the early phase of what we hope will be a successful economic and social recovery. What I have in mind, and the Minister will have heard me speak about this time and again, is a repurposed wage subsidy or support scheme based on the principles of the German Kurzarbeit model. This would help businesses and workers to get a shot at returning to profit, sustainability and viability. This is the type of scheme the principles of which should be embedded into our economy and labour market model, at least for a period of time to help us return to where we want to be. In addition, any such schemes that may be developed should have appropriate conditions attached to them with regard to job retention, minimum rates of pay, minimum hours and so forth. The State should not be taken for a ride and provide endless forms of corporate welfare into the future without using the resources that hopefully will be deployed to drive better outcomes for everyone in the context of our planned and hoped-for economic recovery.

In the time I have left I will turn to another matter related to Covid-19 business supports and the way in which insurance companies such as FBD Holdings and others are operating in respect of business interruption insurance claims. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013 introduced a measure which provided for the deduction of certain benefits, such as illness benefit, from personal injuries awards obtained through a claim for damages. In such cases the law provides, effectively, that the money be returned to the State. In the case of business interruption claims and the actions of companies such as FBD Holdings, can the Minister outline his interpretation of which section of law the insurance companies are relying on to make deductions from awards, as is reported? Will he outline what plans he has to recover any such moneys reclaimed by insurance companies which should logically, and arguably in law, be reimbursed to the State if, indeed, the insurance firms are relying on the logic and principles enshrined in the 2013 Act in terms of the treatment of personal injuries awards?

I am not entirely clear about the plans of the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, after listening to his interview on this issue on "Morning Ireland" this week. He appeared to want to see the difference between an award and the reduced award, based on the amount of Covid support issued, returned to the State and for the policyholder to enjoy the benefit of the full award at the same time. I am not sure that is possible. I understand what he was driving at, but I am not entirely sure what he plans to do. Perhaps the Minister can clarify the position because this issue will come even more considerably into view over the next period of time. As these supports continue and as more business interruption claim issues are addressed by the courts, and potentially by the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, there must be reassurance from the Minister that individual policyholders who require our support and those who are depending on State supports will have the Minister's and the Government's support in getting what they are entitled to. A message must be conveyed to the insurance companies that the type of behaviour they are involved in at present will be given short shrift by the Government.

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