Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I will address a subject broached by my colleague about businesses that have fallen through the cracks. The circus sector has been left behind. It has been thrown from Billy to Jack, told to go to the Arts Council, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, which has sent it back to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Finance. It has achieved nothing so far. These organisations have functioned for maybe 150 years. It is one of the most successful performance art sectors that exists in the country. It washes its face economically, while most others do not manage that. It is phenomenal with regard to regional delivery since it goes to every single town in the country. There is probably not a child or anybody here who has not been able to attend that sort of performance art at some stage in their lives. On a rainy day on holidays in Waterville, County Kerry, it is a godsend to be able to bring kids to such an event.

I hope that the Minister of State has some influence to achieve change with this. I mean this sincerely. They have been left to rot on the vine. They are selling their materials, big tops, tents, and trucks, all necessary things. There is a significant chance that this sector will not be able to survive and that this 150- or 200-year-old heritage will not be able to survive unless it gets financial help. It has received bits and pieces but it is window dressing instead of the finances that it needs.

Regarding enterprise supports, it is impossible for me to convey the level of anger, frustration and complete disbelief at what is happening with small businesses. The science that has been accepted by every single other European country is being completely ignored in this State. We are not operating under the same science as any other European country. As of tomorrow, every single other European country will allow for legal indoor dining. Ireland will be alone, isolated, insular and inward-looking with its decision to prevent restaurants and pub owners from allowing indoor dining to function.

That is an incredible and extraordinarily damaging situation. The Government has now said it is looking for a solution, an extremely controversial one, which is some kind of vaccine passport to operate that. Nobody believes the Government will get that together within the next two weeks. Nobody in this country believes the Government will get that together before September, in truth.

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