Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a business (details supplied) can open under level 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44050/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan recognises the need for an overall incremental approach which take account of the societal and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the varying responses required.

The Living with Covid-19 plan sets out how businesses should operate at five different levels. The Country is, at present, at Level 3. Under Level 3 restrictions no organised indoor gatherings (i.e. controlled environments with a named event organiser or owner or manager) should take place. While gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools can open they can only do so for the purposes of individual training, with protective measures in place. Also, since 1 December, changes have been made in respect of cinemas, galleries and museums over the Christmas period.

The Health and Safety Authority has no role in determining what businesses can open under any particular level of the Living with COVID-19 plan nor “approving” the re-opening of a business under any level. The role of Authority is as the lead Agency in co-ordinating inspections checking compliance with the Work Safely Protocol for those businesses that have re-opened in line with the different levels.

I would add that any business can check the detailed guidance available on the Gov.ie website so as to determine which category which it falls into within the different levels.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has carried out an assessment of the impact of level 5 restrictions on the sectors of the economy under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44131/20]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My officials and I have been engaging intensively with businesses and with their representative bodies as the COVID-19 restrictions have fluctuated over the year. This includes engagement in fora such as the Retail Consultation Forum led by Minister English, the SME Taskforce, as well as my involvement with the Tourism and Hospitality Forum, led by Minister Martin. Participation in these fora keeps me aware of the concerns and issues facing businesses as we navigate different levels of restrictions.

My officials have assisted me and the Ministers of State in my Department in our engagement via these groups and in the design of grants or schemes to enable business manage the disruption imposed by Covid-19.

This ongoing work includes examining what the impact of the current pandemic is having on the economy and on businesses, including the impact of the imposition of restrictions, including at Level 5.

This involves utilising different data sources from the CSO, other Government Departments and higher frequency data from private businesses such as Google and Revolut.

In particular, the numbers on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) published weekly by the Department of Social Protection is useful in determining the impact of restrictions at different levels. The changes in numbers claiming the payment and the sectors they work in provides a good indication of the impact of restrictions imposed on employment and, by proxy, business.

In addition, the data on the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) provided by the Revenue Commissioners provides additional insight into the most highly impacted sectors.

Complementing this official data, my officials have also used data from private sources such as Google, Apple, Revolut and OpenTable to highlight trends relating to consumer spending and the impact restrictions at different levels have had on sectors such as non-essential retail and the hospitality sectors.

Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland client firms employed over 460,000 people at the start of this year and engagement between the agencies and their client firms is an important additional source of information for me and my Department on the impact of this pandemic and Government restrictions.

All of these inputs and analysis feed into my thinking and help guide the Government's approach in regards to the level of restrictions which represents a balance between public health and economic considerations.