Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

As we speak, advertisements on the radio are inviting people to check out the Government's website on the national recovery programme and all the announcements being made. However, a couple of announcements are absent, about which I have repeatedly asked the Taoiseach. More importantly, the groups affected by the pandemic and public health measures and whose incomes and livelihoods have been decimated as a result have repeatedly been asking about them. It appears there is nothing in all the announcements for these groups.

The first of those groups is made up of the taxi drivers, who the Taoiseach met in the last week or two. Last week, for the second time, they were outside here in large numbers protesting and looking for a financial package of support to help their industry which is on its knees and will remain so as long as music, entertainment, tourism and all those areas continue to be severely restricted.

The other group is made up of the musicians. The music and entertainment business assistance scheme, MEBAS, was announced, but I was talking to musicians last night who have been campaigning on this and they said the eligibility criteria, once again, will mean the vast majority who need help will not get it. The musician I was talking to said he was not joking when he said he was having bread and jam for dinner and saving a banana for tomorrow, because he did not have the money to eat. That is how economically decimated musicians who work in pubs and clubs have been. He said, once again, despite all the promises, there is little or nothing in the economic recovery plan for the musicians and, of course, the Government is threatening to cut the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP.

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