Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the July stimulus which provides €4 billion in direct expenditure, €1 billion for taxation measures to directly support businesses and €2 billion in credit guarantees, as well as the new employment wage support schemes, the restart grant and €2 million investment in training and education. The list goes on. On the day of the announcement, the leader of the Opposition described the stimulus as miserly and lacking in ambition. Yesterday afternoon, the same party opposed the setting up of a new Department of higher education dedicated to empowering citizens to improve themselves through further education and reach their potential in whatever way that will be. That is miserly and lacking in ambition.

The July stimulus is an excellent package for many workers and businesses. It needs to be teased out as it is not perfect but, as my colleague, Senator Dooley, said, these things can be tweaked. The stimulus is part of our recovery and we have other schemes which assist in many other ways. I also look forward to hearing how other sectors, namely, day-care services, health services, childcare services and, in particular, schools, will get back to some semblance of pre-Covid normality.