Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We are all braced to see if the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, recommend further restrictions later today to suppress Covid. Media reports suggest that the level of socialising during the Christmas period could be the target of that advice. We are told this could extend to new limits on the numbers allowed in hospitality settings, reduced booking sizes and even reduced opening hours. This amounts to death by a thousand cuts for the hospitality and entertainment sectors. The late night sector has already been, in effect, shut down after just about three weeks of being open. The hospitality, entertainment and tourism sectors are struggling to cope with the wave of cancellations after NPHET and the Government appealed to people to reduce their social contacts.

While the advice was undoubtedly necessary to stem the steep increase in Covid cases, it came with a very real cost. Previously, when public health advice put limits on the ability of businesses to trade, the Government stepped in with business supports. This was in recognition of the fact that businesses were acting to their financial detriment in an effort to protect public health. However, the situation we now find ourselves in is different. The public has heeded the advice and restrictions are being announced, but the supports to cushion the financial blow of these restrictions are either being withdrawn or eroded. There is an inherent hypocrisy in this on the part of the Government. Restrictions are still deemed necessary to suppress Covid transmission, but supports for workers and businesses are being phased out.

The Tánaiste enthuses about personal responsibility as a means of suppressing Covid, but what about the Government's responsibility? The pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, has long been closed to new entrants and has already been cut twice to its current level of €250. The employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, which has been a vital lifeline for business, has now been slashed. Wage subsidies that were paid to nearly 30,000 employees were cut yesterday just a few weeks before Christmas. Previously, there were four rates of €203, €250, €303 and €350 a week, but these have now been reduced to two flat rates of €150 and €203.

Why did the Government proceed with these cuts, given the restrictions are still being announced? Why is there not a targeted approach? Is there now some kind of Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest approach towards the businesses that can withstand this new fourth wave and what it will bring to some of the ones that will survive? Will the Tánaiste commit to restoring EWSS rates for those businesses that can demonstrate they need continued support and PUP for those workers who have lost their jobs because of public health advice?

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