Carol Nolan challenges minister on wage subsidy, CARES and mortgages

Minister, yesterday you announced the changes to the temporary wage subsidy, which was introduced on the 26th of March, to provide income support to eligible employees where the employer's business activities have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Section 28 of the relevant legislation, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest COVID-19 Act 2020, makes provision for the Minister for Finance to determine the amount of the temporary wage subsidy. including in relation to those earning in excess of 586 per week. It was also acknowledged that, as the scheme has been developed at speed, there are imperfections and anomalies arising, including for lower paid employees. A similar assessment now needs to be made, Minister, for CARES payments and entitlements, which are not captured in the revision of the legislation that has just taken place. Will you ensure that this assessment takes place, in addition to engagement with Family Cares Ireland, to ensure that any anomalies which are unfair and inequalities around accessing financial supports for CARES are addressed? I have already written to the Minister for Social Protection on the same issue. The next question is, Minister, what financial stimulus package are you planning to stimulate the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic? In particular, what supports will be introduced to help the SME and tourism sectors to reopen, following the lifting of restrictions? I know that there is a lot of unease among the tourism sector, among hoteliers and we have all received emails and I would just like to be able to get back to those people with something definitive. My third question then, Minister, it has already been mentioned about the mortgage breaks with banks. I have received a number of calls from very frustrated constituents. Not alone is there profiteering, but the mortgage holders are being punished for simply looking for the mortgage break. That is what is happening here. I do welcome the fact that you have said you will engage with the banks. I do feel that that is definitely the way to proceed. But I am just wondering, is it possible that we as TDs could receive a briefing document following that meeting, so that we can then inform the constituents who phone with the queries and who phone with the concerns, Minister, and that we will be able to set them straight and tell them what has happened? Go raibh maigod. Thank you, Minister. Thank you for your questions in relation to your first question. I understand that that matter more relates to the operation of the pandemic payment as opposed to the wage subsidy scheme. And if you have any correspondence in relation to that issue from carers or other groups, if you pass it on to me, I will respond back on your behalf. But the pandemic payment has been structured to help those who have lost work, who are working in a particular date and are no longer working. And it is therefore the case that some people are not benefiting from that payment because, for example, they might not have been working already at the date in which this payment was brought in, or they may still be in some form of work. But if you give me correspondence on the matter, Deputy, I will respond back to you on the issue. In relation to the SME and the tourism sector, I would say to you that the first step in helping sectors like that recover is the income subsidy scheme. The income subsidy scheme is designed to help employers who have seen a huge decline in their revenue. And I know that that is the case with anybody who is working in hospitality or tourism. They have not just seen a decline in their income. They have seen the virtual loss of all of it. So any employer in that sector should either be examining the wage subsidy scheme or should be on it. And the very reason why that scheme is in place is to support employers like that at a point in which the income coming into them is next to nil. I am absolutely aware of the challenges that that sector is facing. They were indeed the first sector to experience massive job losses. When we put together a plan to look at how we can rebuild our economy, that is the sector that will be very much at the centre of us. But our ability to reopen our hotels, our ability to reopen our restaurants, does depend on where we are with a public health point of view, and does depend on can provisions in relation to social distancing be implemented, and is it the right thing for the health of all of us for that sector to be reopened, which it will be at a point in time, but it is first and foremost going to be influenced by what is right from a public health point of view. And then finally, in relation to mortgage breaks, yes, when I have had further engagement with the sector, I will provide a briefing material to you and others to ensure you are aware of where that issue stands. Just to go back to one point that I have touched on with you and with other deputies, I just want to emphasise again that measures like the pandemic payment, like the wage subsidy scheme, are exceptional measures across an emergency period. These are schemes that are into which the Exchequer is making available many billions of Euro. That is the right decision. It is the right decision to support so many people when they have lost their income so suddenly. And in the absence of these schemes would be facing either a huge decline in their income, or find it even more difficult to go back to work. But I do want to emphasise that because of their cost, it will require very significant decisions regarding how they are used in the future, and how the use of these schemes coincides with changes in relation to public health guidance.