Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a need for support for businesses that may not be closed but do not have as much business as they had heretofore. County Kerry predominantly relies on tourism. Suppliers of fish and meat that were supplying hotels, restaurants and small hostelry businesses have not been able to command as much business as they could previously. They are very worried that they will have to shed employees or close down altogether because their business has been seriously impacted, even though they have not been ordered to close. As a result of other businesses being closed, they have been hurt very badly.

I refer to people such as taxi drivers or bus operators. Taxi drivers have been told they will go back for a few weeks but they can see trouble looming. When the local people who are on vacation dry up or children go back to school at the end of August or in early September, they may not be able to survive. In fact, they believe they will not be able to survive without payments. Even drivers working for other operators who have gone back to work are very concerned and will need the pandemic payment to be continued, at least until the season begins next March, by which stage we hope everything will be back to normal. The Minister needs to consider their needs. I am asking him to consider the needs of those in the two sectors I have mentioned.

There are other businesses that are semi-operational but, as tourists are no longer coming in their droves and business is not at the level it was previously, they will not be able to continue. They are very keen to stay working and would be delighted to be able to continue working but that is not going to happen.

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