Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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226. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if his attention has been drawn to instances of non-essential outlets in shopping centres opening and trading under level 5 which will result in staff being unable to access the Covid-19 payment if the shop does not close; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32955/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 is a cross-government approach to managing and living with the pandemic over the next 6 – 9 months. The Government decided that, from midnight on Wednesday 21st October, the entire country would be placed on Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID with a small number of exceptions.

This action was based on current public health advice, the deteriorating situation with the disease across the country and the Government’s objectives to support families by keeping schools and childcare facilities open, maintaining non-COVID health services and protecting the vulnerable.

The Regulations which underpin Level 5 restrictions clearly set out what is essential retail and essential services. Guidelines on what comprises essential retail is set out here .

Where businesses remain open to the public and are not so permitted under the regulations, those businesses are in breach of the regulations.

I am working with my colleagues across Government to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19. My colleague Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys T.D. would be best placed to provide more specific information in relation to access to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if a special helpline will be set up for businesses to contact for clarification regarding lockdown restrictions and check the way in which they apply to their business in view of the fact that most businesses are having confusion interpreting the list of essential services on the www.gov.ie website. [32997/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Following the advice of NPHET, the Government made the decision to move the entire country to Level 5 of the Framework for Living with COVID-19 for a period of six weeks. While essential retail and services including schools, early learning and childcare will remain open, all non-essential services must close. A comprehensive list of essential services can be found at .

Businesses should carefully review the essential services list and determine whether they can operate or not under the current restrictions. It is not necessary for businesses to seek official authorisation.

In March, as a response to COVID-19 my Department established a dedicated Business Support Call Centre to assist businesses in identifying the relevant business supports for which they are eligible and directing businesses on how and where to access grants, loans, mentoring, training and advice provisions.

Since its establishment, the Call Centre has responded to over 10,400 phone calls and emails from businesses. The week ending 23^rdOctober saw an increase in enquiries with over 650 queries received following the announced move to Level 5 restrictions with almost 300 of these calls relating to whether businesses can remain open or not at Level 5. The Call Centre team advise callers on where to find the relevant information on the Gov.ie website and provide up-to-date information on the enhanced financial measures that Government have put in place to assist businesses during Level 5 restrictions.

A full list of those measures is available on my Department's website at .

My colleagues and I across Government will continue to review the situation over the period to determine the most appropriate point for exit from this level of restriction.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if painters, decorators, plumbers, electricians and associated trades persons can continue to work under level 5 restrictions; the guidelines for these trades persons when working in individual homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33034/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 is a cross-government approach to managing and living with the pandemic over the next 6 – 9 months.

The Government decided that, from midnight on Wednesday 21st October, the entire country would be placed on Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID with a small number of exceptions.

This action was based on current public health advice, the deteriorating situation with the disease across the country and the Government’s objectives to support families by keeping schools and childcare facilities open, maintaining non-Covid health services and protecting the vulnerable.

The regulations governing the restrictions under Level 5 classify the following as an essential service:

(a) construction or development work and the provision of support services relating to construction and development work;

(b) the repair, maintenance and construction of road, rail and utility infrastructure:

(c) the supply and delivery of maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services)

Physical attendance at workplaces is only permitted for those providing essential services where such services can only be provided in person and cannot be delivered remotely.

Essential purposes for travel (permitted outside 5 km limit) includes travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service. Further information on essential services can be found at:

All essential service providers carrying out work activities permitted under Level 5 restrictions should comply with all the current public health advice and recommendations in place regarding the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and with the due regard to the Return to Work Safely Protocol.