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

People, in their droves, heeded the advice from NPHET and the Government to reduce their contacts. People have been cancelling, for example, Christmas parties, going to events and so on. One of the people who contacted me, and I am sure people in the same situation are contacting the Tánaiste, told me that 80% of his or her bookings have vanished, with the expectation that another 20% will go in the coming days. This individual said it is a very stressful time for his or her employees. This person is talking about possibly having to close the business and whether it will survive Christmas. This was going to be the month that would help that business over the lean months in early new year. The person who contacted me talked about the increases in utility bills, food costs, overheads such as insurance, and all of that.

I am not saying these payments should not be targeted. There needs to be targeted supports for these sectors, which enrich our towns, villages and tourism offering. In essence, the problem is we cannot afford to lose these businesses but they cannot afford to keep the doors open either. Will the Tánaiste commit to giving particular consideration to those industries that are already seeing a serious hit, even without the advice coming from NPHET?

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