Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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966. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to support the staff and owners of limousine SPSV tour operating businesses during the recovery from Covid-19. [9357/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I understand the very difficult business environment that small public service vehicle (SPSV) operators, including operators of limousine SPSV tour businesses, are now dealing with.  Indeed, across Government we are acutely aware that the COVID-19 situation presents huge challenges for very many business sectors.

That is why we have worked to introduce a wide programme of Government supports for impacted businesses.  The range of supports available includes new schemes of wage subsidies, rates waivers, re-start grants, lending facilities, equity injection, and business advisory supports for example. I also note that self-employed owner-operators of SPSVs may avail of the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350 a week.

I am aware that the limousine business is particularly reliant on the tourism and hospitality sector.  Since late February officials from my Department have engaged with industry with a view to understanding the challenges facing the sector.  In addition, with my colleague, Minister of State Griffin, I have established the COVID-19 Tourism Monitoring Group.  This group comprises industry stakeholders, the tourism agencies and Departmental officials and has been specifically established to monitor the disruption to the tourism sector and to assist in formulating the sector’s response to the crisis.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has also taken a number of actions to reduce the immediate financial burden on SPSV operators and to make it easier for them to return to the industry when circumstances change.

The NTA has extended licences expiring before 12 June 2020 by three months, waived late licence renewal fees, and temporarily relaxed rules around vehicle age limits. It has engaged with the insurance industry to facilitate a suspension of SPSV insurance for those operators who decide to temporarily stop working and suspend their licences.  The NTA has also put in place arrangements to facilitate the swift re-activation of the suspended licence when such an SPSV operator wishes to return to work.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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967. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to support the bus and coach companies in adapting their vehicles to cater for social distancing. [9358/20]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Since the beginning of the Covid-19 health emergency, the Government has been clear that continued operation of the public transport sector is important and designated public transport as an “essential service” during the Covid-19 emergency, recognising the importance of keeping the system running especially for carrying essential workers and other passengers making necessary journeys throughout the crisis period. 

Public transport has served, and will continue to serve, a vital role in transporting essential workers and in supporting Government’s Roadmap to Reopening Society and Business in the weeks and months ahead.

Public health advices on social distancing are relevant across the public transport sector, and operators are implementing measures to facilitate adequate social distancing measures onboard;  this significantly reduces the carrying capacity of public transport services.

While the majority of public transport in Ireland is provided by the publicly-subvented bus and rail services funded through National Transport Authority's (NTA) public service obligation (PSO) programme, the public transport system also includes non-subvented bus services provided on a commercial basis by bus and coach businesses of varying size.  I understand that about 90% of the commercial bus operators have suspended their services or are providing significantly reduced services at present.

From my Department's engagement with their representatives, and indeed from the NTA's regular engagement with them throughout the crisis, I understand the very difficult business environment that the commercial bus operators are now dealing with.  Indeed, across Government we are acutely aware that the Covid-19 situation presents huge challenges for many business sectors.

That is why we have worked to introduce a wide programme of Government supports for impacted businesses.  The range of supports available includes new schemes of wage subsidies, rates waivers, re-start grants, lending facilities, equity injection, and business advisory supports for example. 

I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation about these matters and am raising with her the concerns and situation of the commercial operators. The 'Return to Work Safely Protocol' was published by the Minister Humphreys on 9 May 2020 and sets out the steps and processes employers and workers must take to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. The Protocol is a living document which will evolve with changing Public Health advice.