Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. This is very important legislation. It is also important to note some of the remarks made by Senators Keogan and Carrigy - I will echo them - on the help to-buy-scheme and the concerns being expressed to the effect that second-hand houses or older houses are not included in the scheme. People who want to buy are coming to us and, as Senator Carrigy stated, there are no new houses available for them in particular places.

The one thing that we can accept with certainty is that there is a gargantuan challenge across the world that is being met. This, in turn, gives rise to a new challenge to our mindset, our attitudes and our thinking. If we are looking to reopen our economy, then we must consider how we will do things differently. I commend Cork Chamber of Commerce on their report this week on the sustainable Cork programme and the way in which Cork has changed and been challenged.

This Bill relates to the spending of €2.7 billion on an action plan for our country. If we can develop an action plan similar to the Action Plan for Jobs, then we will do a great deal of positive work. The important thing now is that we reimagine and recalibrate our economy and our society. I reiterate the point I made this morning - I know that many Senators will be tired of me saying this but I am the transport spokesperson for our party and am a Member from Cork - about Cork Airport. I do so in the context of the remarks made by Mr. Ray Gray of the DAA at the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response. Mr. Gray spoke about the need for a different funding approach in respect of Cork Airport. As the Minister of State is aware, the airport does not receive state aid or financial support, unlike other regional airports, because it has a self-funding model. That model has been impacted severely. Mr. Gray also stated that Cork Airport faces particular challenges. Can the Minister of State, together with his ministerial colleagues in the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, look at a way to ensure that Cork Airport will receive state aid through the regional airport capital funding programme, to which it must now be given access? We must be innovative in incentivising route development out of Cork and look at other models of business.

This week, Cork City Council produced its Re-imagining Cork City programme, which involves the creation of 14 pedestrianised streets to allow for al frescodining. The weather may not be particularly welcoming in the context of such dining, but is it not extraordinary that it took a pandemic for us to change our attitude to street furniture in cities across the country? We have recalibrated our city and other towns and cities as well, which is wonderful. Some €2 million is being spent on cycling infrastructure to make our city centre people-friendly. I hope we can take that model and replicate it across the country in large towns. I was in west Cork last weekend and the open market in Schull was fantastic. I saw see people dining on the streets in Clonakilty and Baltimore, to name just two places.

A number of people have raised with me the issue of the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, which, as Minister of State is aware, will replace the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, in September. I am not sure if the Minister of State will be clarifying this point or if such clarification is needed but, rightly or wrongly, I have been told that it would have an impact on proprietary directors who are also employees in their own businesses and are trying to obtain support under the TWSS currently. We are all conscious of the family-friendly businesses that are owned and provide jobs in a variety of different areas. If that is not correct, can the Minister of State the position when replying?

I congratulate all of those involved in developing the stimulus plan. We have already spoken about a number of issues. This is something that we need to drive on with and implement. We must ensure that there is no roadblock to or red tape in the context of the delivery of funds. As the Minister of State indicated, the people of Ireland have shown great resilience. We have introduced new measures and I commend the Government on these. Let us just get the job done now.