Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the need for public health measures but as other Senators outlined, late-night sectors are to close again, having been closed for 595 days and reopening for 27 days. This is extraordinarily difficult for staff, as Senator Sherlock outlined, and business owners, as Senator Horkan outlined. It is not just about the closure but ongoing difficulties for the staff in this sector. Businesses are supposed to retain qualified, experienced staff but they cannot offer them any certainty about working conditions.Some excellent staff throughout the country have been lost to the sector since Covid, especially in my own city of Galway, the city of festivals. I have contacted the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Finance for essential support, such as the Covid restrictions support scheme, the employment wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment to be immediately reintroduced in full. The waiving of commercial rates needs to continue.

Thousands of jobs throughout the country are at stake. The sector will need longer-term supports to recover. An overall plan is needed to ensure the sector and thousands of SMEs are given the opportunity to survive. We also need to examine how these businesses can operate safely in Covid circumstances and what can be done to make these premises secure. There have been many examples of this over the past number of weeks.

I would be grateful if the Leader could invite the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to the House at the earliest opportunity to discuss the immediate reintroduction of financial supports for the impacted businesses. If we do not support the night-time economy businesses when they are going through this very difficult time after 27 days, they will not be there.