Results 4,801-4,820 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: 438. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to reinstate the continuity vouchers scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11279/20]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: 439. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when funding will be made available to local authorities to issue restart grants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11280/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: I will start by asking Mr. McDonnell from ISME about the restart grants. What are the restart-up costs? Does he find that the Government’s restart grants are adequate or wholly inadequate to meet the restart costs for businesses?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: They are inadequate, in Mr. McDonnell's view.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: How much in grant aid would the average business need to restart, when one takes on board the costs associated with restocking, adequate provision of PPE and cleaning, etc.? Chambers Ireland has said that the average restart cost would be between €26,000 and €32,000. What would Mr. McDonnell estimate to be the average cost in comparison to what the Government is allowing in grants?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Some businesses are still falling through the net when it comes to accessing the restart grants.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: They cannot access the grants.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: The Government has put forward various loan options and small grant aid, but if one considers the Department's figures, the take-up is extremely low. The data suggest a real problem around this and that the loans and the grant are not fit for purpose. Would Mr. McDonnell agree?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Scale Ireland has commented recently that we are on the back foot now and that the Government is way behind other European Governments when it comes to business supports. What is Mr. McDonnell's take on that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: If the Government continues to fail to address the issues facing SMEs, it is clear that the consequences could be dire. Will Mr. McDonnell quantify the scale of those consequences for small and medium size businesses?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Okay, 9,000 could be serious. I have some questions for Mr. McCoy. There is commentary around the €350 pandemic unemployment payment being higher than pay received by many workers in the State. This has brought low pay into focus. Would Mr. McCoy agree that this highlights a massive problem with low pay, low-hour contracts and the gig economy?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Would Mr. McCoy not recognise that it highlights low pay, low-hour contracts?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: No, I am talking about the labour market. Some people have referred to it as a bonanza for workers. Does it not put the focus back on low pay, low-hour contracts?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Yes, but the fear was that people would not go back to work because of it. That was the commentary that was made, that people were unwilling.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Or one could argue the contrary that if pay and low-hour contracts were to be improved, it would do away with that. I have two other quick questions. In his opening statement Mr. McCoy called for the replacement of the 2 m social distancing with a 1 m distance, and that is his opinion. Does he have an opinion on mandatory face masks for people who can wear them?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: But there are many workplaces that prove to be crowded environments if we reduce it down to 1 m. I am asking if Mr. McCoy has an opinion on reducing the distance-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: Would Mr. McCoy put that to his members?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: I will commence by asking about the restart grants. It is fair to say that it is bad enough that they are wholly inadequate and the value is tuppence ha'penny in comparison with what governments in other jurisdictions have given as restart grants. Is it true that the Department has not yet released funding to local authorities in order for them to issue payments for the restart grants?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: It is true. I contacted a local authority yesterday and asked how many applications had been received. The local authority confirmed that there had been more than 600 applications but it was unable to issue payment for the grants because it was still waiting on the Department to sanction them. As Deputy McGuinness mentioned, it is as if the Department here does not get the sense of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Reopening the Economy: Supports for Business (9 Jun 2020)

Imelda Munster: It is clearly not quick enough for the businesses. They are in dire need of it. Local authorities have received volumes of applications yet the funding was not released to them in order for them to issue payments, which is disappointing.