Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the unequal impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economy as revealed in the latest Exchequer figures; his views on the way the figures indicate the way in which low paid workers and SMEs lose out the most as a result of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic; and his plans to enable a fairer economy once the current crisis is over that will make these sectors of the economy more resilient. [1822/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The impact of Covid-19 on the labour market has been unprecedented, but some sectors have been more severely affected than others. In particular, consumer-facing services sectors have been significantly impacted. Unfortunately, many of these sectors have a higher proportion of lower-paid employees, and those working on a part-time basis.

This was reflected in the Exchequer figures for 2020, which showed income tax down by only 1 per cent on 2019. This remarkable resilience is a testament to the highly progressive nature of our tax system, which places many of these works outside of the income tax net. The Government has acted decisively to support these workers, through initiatives such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, the Employee Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Covid Restrictions Subsidy Scheme as well as a range of additional supports to households and businesses. The suite of measures that the Government has introduced are focussed on supporting businesses in retaining employment, providing support to those out of work, and on getting people back to work as soon as possible.

The most recently available data, to March 22^nd, shows that 449,500 people are being supported by the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, with the figures particularly high in the severely affected accommodation, food and retail sectors. Revenue data to March 25^thshows that an additional 311,500 employees are being supported by the Employee Wage Subsidy Scheme, and that 21,300 businesses have registered claims under the Covid Restrictions Subsidy Scheme.

These figures highlight the deep effect that Covid-19 has had on our economy and labour market, but also the Government’s continuing commitment to provide the necessary fiscal support to cushion the worst impact of the pandemic on our society.