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

We certainly had prolonged restrictions in Ireland, perhaps longer than in many other countries, including other countries in Europe. It does depend on how you define restrictions. Some people define it as working from home and other people define it as business closures and so on. It is worth pointing out that Ireland is now one of the most open countries in the world. Most European countries still have restrictions in place. Businesses are closed and there are restrictions on opening hours. People are not able to stand at a bar and nightclubs are closed, among other measures. We are now one of the most open countries in Europe. Much of south-east Asia is still pursuing a zero-Covid policy and is still in lockdown. Restrictions were tightened in Hong Kong the other day, for example.

In terms of business supports, it is fair to say that the Government has not been found wanting when it comes to supporting the economy and jobs, providing a robust and sustained multibillion euro package that compares well internationally. The employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, has been extended even though many other countries ended their furlough schemes months ago.

At around €40 billion, the cumulative level of fiscal support made available in 2020 and 2021 has been unprecedented. It is the largest single intervention in the Irish economy since the banking crisis, but I think we would all agree it is a much better one. The ability to apply countercyclical fiscal policy in this way has been made possible only by the prudent management of the public finances in the preceding years. The official and most comprehensive data on business closures is provided by the Central Statistics Office. The data are only available for up to 2018 because the Revenue Commissioners need two years of inactivity to count a company as closed. The latest information indicates there were 15,337 closures in 2014 and 17,807 in 2018. A full table will be provided to the Deputy in written form.

Data from my Department can provide a proxy for business closures but with some caveats. The CRO provides data on companies liquidated, including where members or creditors wind up a company or if liquidation is by a court order. Total liquidations in 2016 were 1,754 and 1,489 in 2020. Again, I will provide the Deputy with further data in written form.

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