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

The Tánaiste said most businesses will open. Most will, but some will not. Most workers who were in work in March 2020 will go back, which is fair enough, but some of them will not. Those workers are absolutely terrified by the date of 1 July because they do not know what is coming. We should bear in mind that many of these workers were doing the kind of work, facilitated by the Government, that meant they were not in a position to have savings. If they had savings, they have been depleted. I urge the Tánaiste to engage directly with worker and industry representatives when formulating the plan, not in big forums but on a one-to-one basis, so that he can hear directly what supports they need.

I urge him to consider flexibility around the CRSS scheme because it is a lifeline for workers and businesses in terms of keeping them going. They need a level of certainty. I welcome the fact that there will be a plan in May but, as matters stand today, can the Tánaiste commit to a period of real and meaningful engagement with these people, specifically workers' representatives?

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