Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The provisions contained in this Bill provide for enhancements to existing Covid-19 supports, as well as the introduction of the business resumption support scheme. We need to do more for small business owners where businesses are closed due to the pandemic in order that they will have a business to reopen when it is safe to do so. Every day, I am contacted by small business owners, mostly in the hospitality sector. They are genuinely worried that they will not have a business to reopen if the Government does not listen to their concerns. Every single one of them is critical of this Government and of the red tape involved in business supports. The temporary wage subsidy scheme was developed in haste. As the old saying goes, act in haste, repent in leisure. The frequently asked questions section on Revenue's website about the temporary wage subsidy scheme has been revised nearly 20 times and stretches to 79 pages. We saw significant tax bills being sent to workers, which is exactly what they do not need at this time. Workers cannot take much more of this.

Business owners need certainty to enable them to plan and to help them to keep their businesses alive. We do not need the haphazard approach of this Government in recent days. Business owners who have contacted me have also been critical of the Government's deafness to their plight. A deaf ear has been turned to businesses that do not fit the narrow definition of businesses covered by legislative change. The Government has been too slow to react.

The Bill also gives statutory effect to the financial resolution passed by the Dáil relating to the rate of stamp duty applying to the bulk purchase of housing. The decision to exclude apartments from this legislation has been criticised by many. Even the Secretary General at the Department of Finance has been critical of this decision. In reality, this change is just a speed bump for vulture funds instead of the roadblock that it should be. They will continue to plunder housing stock but they will do it in groups of ten now instead of groups of 100. The Government's housing policy must favour ordinary workers and their families, not the status quoof favouring developers and vulture funds. Sinn Féin in government will ensure that it does this. The last speaker said that we are all in this together. I do not think so.

See this speech in context