John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating my colleague from the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Senator Moynihan, on her marriage last week and I also congratulate my colleague, Senator Ward, on his engagement.

I welcome the initial details of the Government's new redundancy initiative, which was announced at lunchtime today and is seeking to ensure workers do not lose out financially as a result of being laid off during the pandemic. At the same time it is seeking to prevent businesses being forced to the wall due to the costs of meeting the entitlements of staff who regrettably have to and will have to be let go. The scheme will have to be underpinned by legislation, and I look forward to it coming before the House in due course.A special payment of up to €1,860 will be available to employees to reflect the lay-off period. Employers who are facing difficulty in meeting redundancy costs will be offered loans which will initially be interest free.

To continue where the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, who mentioned the midlands, and Senator Malcolm Byrne, who mentioned Wexford, left off, I was delighted to see that Waterford city was listed as one of the five best locations in Ireland to live. Obviously, not everything is perfect, and there is plenty of room for improvement, but often we do not realise what is on our doorstep and the level of funding provided by Government to regional Ireland under such schemes as the urban regeneration and development fund and the rural regeneration and development fund. Yesterday there was a significant announcement of €540,000 which was allocated by Fáilte Ireland to Waterford city under an animation scheme which will illuminate 21 historic buildings across Waterford city. This is part of a very good initiative by Waterford City and County Council to make Waterford city the city of light. I look forward to that project taking hold in due course, and seeing that investment realised in Waterford city.