Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I think I said I was sceptical as to the need for additional restrictions, particularly ones that would impact on family life and businesses and so on. I will maintain a healthy scepticism around that as Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment. I hate to see any business being closed or being restricted. As Minister for employment I very much hate to see anyone being laid off specially for the second or third time. As a politician who believes in personal freedom and liberty I hate to see people’s individual freedoms or family life being restricted by Government in any way. Sometimes it is necessary. Any time we impose restrictions on people and business we need to ask questions. Where is the evidence? Will this work? Are there alternatives? That is my responsibility and I will continue to do so, particularly if further restrictions are proposed in the weeks ahead.

The new instructions that were announced on Friday were a bitter pill and a deep disappointment to all of us. They were a body blow in particular for sectors like hospitality, the arts, events, entertainment and leisure which rely on December to see them through other parts of the year. On Monday, the Taoiseach, the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Catherine Martin, and I met with representatives of the hospitality entertainment and arts sectors. The meeting included representatives of business bodies and also of trade unions. At each point of closing and reopening the economy during the pandemic, I have met with stakeholders to update them and listen to their feedback. This includes the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU.

The announcement made on Friday was based on strong public health advice that notwithstanding a stable or improving epidemiological situation, there are three concerns, in particular. First, the certainty of increased social mixing as we approach Christmas and the impact that that might have. There is a flu season that we did not experience last year but expect to experience this year. Our immunity to the flu has waned as a consequence of social distancing for the past year or two. There is also uncertainty about the Omicron variant.

We sought to keep workers connected to their employers and on the payroll and to help businesses survive through a robust and sustained programme of financial support from Government. We will continue to provide assistance where and when it is needed and this was evident on Friday when we announced a package of financial interventions for the hospitality, events and entertainment sectors. This includes a change to the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme, CRSS, or the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, details of which will be confirmed very shortly by the Minister for Finance, an extension of the targeted commercial rates waiver at least until the end of March and an extra €25 million to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media targeted at the live events and sectors covered under the remit of that Department.

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