Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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30. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if grant aid will be provided to livestock marts to update equipment and assist with online costs; and, if so, if the grant scheme will be changed in order that marts with a turnover of €5 million will be eligible to access funding in view of the fact that profit is minimal. [34560/20]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The start-up grant earlier this year was welcome but businesses with a turnover of more than €5 million could not apply. I realise that when the Tánaiste took over the portfolio he increased it to €25 million. If marts sold 100 cattle a week they would go over the €5 million mark. When they reopened, some of them were not aware that it had increased to €25 million and that they could apply for funding after they reopened. Some of these marts have put in a fair amount of online infrastructure. Will the Minister re-examine this?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his recent submission to me on this matter. He highlighted some clear challenges that have emerged relating to the imposition of level 5 Covid–19 restrictions, including the prohibition on buyers from accessing sales rings at livestock marts.

My colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, and his Department continue to work closely with stakeholders to protect agrifood supply chains, despite the stricter controls in place. Nevertheless, the core responsibility of Government is to protect lives and public health while also supporting the broader requirements of the economy and society. Regretfully, we are in level 5 Covid-19 restrictions and it is not possible to make exemptions for any section of the economy affected by them. This position was reiterated by the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, during Question Time last week and by the Taoiseach.

Regarding the operation of online marts, I understand that Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine officials have been in contact with system providers and have been assured all necessary steps are being taken to avoid a repeat of the recent broadband connectivity issues experienced. They are monitoring the situation closely to ensure the smooth operation of future sales.

I understand the value of adequate broadband throughout the country and it is vital to the future of work and flexible and remote working. Work on the national broadband plan continues as quickly as possible. The Deputy raised the issue of broadband with me last week on Leaders' Questions, and a specific issue regarding stand-offs in relation to poles. I mentioned this to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, but the Deputy may wish to raise it with him directly.

There is no specific programme available to grant aid livestock marts to update equipment but I am happy to discuss any proposal the Deputy may have. I understand that marts have availed of the restart grant plus scheme, for which the turnover cap was €25 million, increased from €5 million in the previous scheme, as he acknowledged.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I welcome the Tánaiste's reply. The reason I am speaking to the Department is that as well as being agricultural marts employ people and they are enterprises. They are very important, particularly in rural areas. Given the outlay many of them had this year, all I ask is that the Tánaiste re-examines providing an incentive or some type of funding that they may be able to access through the Department.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. Certainly I am happy to examine any proposal in this regard. It is probably more something for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine than for my Department but I am always open to suggestion. It can be difficult to have a scheme that is for a particular business or enterprise and then not face requests to do the same for other businesses. I am certainly happy to hear more from the Deputy about this.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I acknowledge the Tánaiste has spoken about the submission that has been made and, in fairness to the officials, they spoke to me about this. In the coming weeks there should be an opportunity to show NPHET and the various Departments the flaws or problems in places. We need to concentrate on this to allow a certain number of farmers being able to safely work within a mart. It is our job to prove this to the people to whom we need to prove it but I ask the Tánaiste to be open minded when we look for it again.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I am very sympathetic to the cases being made to allow marts to reopen with restrictions. I recall that during the first phase of the pandemic, we did exactly that at a certain point and it worked reasonably well. I know that buying and selling livestock online is not the same. It is the same as buying anything online, but in particular looking at a live animal online is not just the same. I have heard of situations where farmers have been trying to join the mart online and have suffered from bad broadband or even cases where farmers have got together around a laptop and were probably closer to each other than they would have been had they been at the mart. We also need to be practical about these things. At the same time, one thing the Government is very clear about is that if we start to unravel the restrictions now, they will unravel and we really want to get another few weeks at level 5 to reduce the numbers to a very low level before we consider easing any restrictions. Like all businesses, marts can avail of the employment wage subsidy scheme to help pay staff, low-cost loans and the new Covid restrictions support scheme weekly grant that can be received when they are closed.