John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his ruling allowing us to speak in this debate. It is a difficult time for all of us and there must be some flexibility. There is, of course, a job to be done by the Whip's office in the context of ensuring that we are all properly informed. I do not expect anyone to catch me by the hand, bring me in here and give me a slap on the back. In fact, my experience is that there are few who will do that for you in here. Usually, the Whips give you a kick in the rear end rather than a slap on the back.

I welcome all the measures that have been put in place by the Government since the very beginning of this pandemic. The Government has reached out in a general way to sectors and has given appropriate financial support. However, there are certain sectors that have continued, throughout the Covid period, to complain about a lack of support. I point to those who are self-employed in the taxi business and in private car and bus hire. They provide a valuable service and have had to fight all the way through the pandemic for support. They got some recognition recently but we must do much more for them.

Another section of society that needs support, as mentioned by other speakers, is young people. I would make a case to reach out to them and include them in some way, by means of benefits and perhaps other supports. There is no doubt that there is an economic case to be made for such support and there is also a case around health. In fact, their inclusion in society and in the available supports is absolutely essential. I include in that the health supports that are required in terms of safeguarding mental health and general well-being. We cannot ignore young people, who have lost a large portion of their lives to the Covid restrictions. The Government should reach out to them and provide them with supports that would give them a clear understanding that it is in touch with their situation and wants to support them as well as everyone else.

The people involved in private coach hire are getting back to work and providing, in line with the protocols, services for businesses and people on staycations. However, they are not being supported in a way that would allow them to have free rein throughout the country in terms of access to visitor sites. I ask that the Office of Public Works, OPW, look at opening those sites and their facilities to enable people to travel the length and breadth of the country, observing the protocols but having the facilities available to them. That is a simple thing to do and it would help business no end.

We continually make a case for the hospitality sector and I have certainly done so. Not only has it been closed for a long time but it has also been given a number of false dawns in terms of when it can reopen. Businesses have availed of the supports from the Government but they have also invested heavily. Reopening a business is not a simple thing. One cannot just reach for a grant and expect everything to follow after that. Businesses in the hospitality sector have employees who are relying on them. It is extremely difficult for those businesses to retain their employees and, for those that wish to take on extra employees, it is difficult to get them. There is much work to be done with the sector in the coming week to build trust and confidence, acknowledge what is needed and recognise the timely fashion in which it must be delivered.

Nothing like the announcement on Tuesday should ever happen again. The Government should be in a position to communicate clearly and follow the line in terms of the expectations that are given to people around reopening. It was a shocking response from the Government to close the hospitality sector again and give no date for reopening. It showed really poor management that the Government was not engaged with the sector prior to making that announcement. It raises the question of what kind of flow of information there is between the chief medical officer, the Cabinet and the rest of Government. What about us in this House? Should we not be informed of what is happening, on a weekly basis at least? We are Members of this Parliament and we represent our constituencies. We should be given full sight of any of the analysis that is taking place and the information that is flowing between the health authorities and the Government.

Finally, this legislation includes changes relating to taxes and so on. There is no place in society for vulture funds to purchase any property that could be used for social housing. We must take a step beyond where we are now and ensure that sector of the market is kept entirely for those who are most in need of social and affordable housing and those agencies that deliver housing to applicants who are on the housing lists throughout the country. We must take this step. We are supposed to be representing the people and the ones who are being entirely deprived at present are the young people starting out in life, wanting to get a foothold on the property ladder and not being able to do it. All over the country, vulture funds are eyeing up properties and not just stepping into the market but having the ability and financial muscle to take over the market. The Government needs to set down a clear marker that it will not tolerate such activity and it will put the people who are in need first, namely, young couples and those who want to get on the property ladder, and others can wait. That can be done by way of taxation and a number of suggestions in that regard have been made in the House. I would like to see the Minister and the Government imaginatively taking up those suggestions and implementing a policy that tilts the balance in favour of the State, and what we are trying to achieve in terms of policy, and away from the vulture funds.

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