Danny Healy-Rae Urges Support for Seasonal Workers and Entertainers
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on 28 July 2020 about gaps in COVID-19 income supports and urged the Minister to include seasonal tourism workers, over-66 small business operators and entertainers in payments. He criticised eligibility rules for the Corona payment and the temporary wage subsidy as leaving hotel staff, bus drivers, older proprietors and musicians without assistance and asked for urgent remedies.
Seasonal workers excluded from Corona payment
Danny Healy-Rae welcomed the extension of the Corona payment but requested that seasonal workers who were not working during the reference week of 6th to 13th March be included. He said in Kerry this category includes hotel workers and bus drivers who have no work and who have been left behind by the current rules.
Wage subsidy eligibility criticised
He criticised the temporary wage subsidy scheme for applying only to people who worked in January and February, noting many tourism workers do not work in those months and are therefore excluded. He also warned that employees with reduced hours in January and February will only attract subsidy for the hours they worked, disadvantaging part-time staff compared with full-time workers.
Appeal for over-66 small business operators
He supported calls for people over 66 who run businesses to be considered for aid, saying many have continued to provide employment over the years but now face insurance, utility and outstanding bills. He urged the Minister to address the situation for this older cohort who have been left behind by current measures.
Entertainers and musicians seek support
Danny Healy-Rae appealed on behalf of entertainers and musicians who performed in pubs, clubs and local venues, including traditional musicians and touring acts mentioned in his remarks. He asked that the embargo on such performers be lifted as soon as possible and that some form of financial assistance be provided while they are not allowed to work.
Congratulation and closing appeal
He began by congratulating the Minister on a new appointment and closed with repeated thanks while reiterating his request that the Minister address these exclusions. He framed the appeal as an urgent request for fairness for tourism workers, older proprietors and entertainers affected by the current support rules.
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Thank you very much, Seancola. I'm glad to get an opportunity to talk, and I want to congratulate the Minister on a new appointment, and I wish her all the very best in the future for the length of this start. I want to ensure that seasonal workers who weren't working the week, the 6th to the 13th to March, that they will be included in the payment now. I welcome the extension of the Corona payment, but I hope that this category of people, which in Kerry includes hotel workers, bus drivers, and there are many of them, and they have no work, and because they weren't working the week, the 6th to the 13th of March, they have been left behind. And I think that's very, very unfair, Minister, and I'm asking you to address it, please. Like others, I want to support the call for the over 66ers, and many of them even have pubs, and Republicans, and just because they were over 66, they gave good employment back over the years. And they have been left behind, they have insurance bills, they have utility bills, and they have many other outstanding cars, they're living, they're trying to keep their premises, make it available, like others, that are over 66. The temporary wage subsidy minister only applies to people who work the months of January and February, and in the tourism sector, many people don't work during January and February, and those people are not included in the wage subsidy, and therefore will be left behind by businesses, because when there is no wage subsidy for those, they won't, they won't, they won't, they won't be considered a rash to, to work at all. Also, in relation to the wage subsidy, and I want to make this very clear to you, Minister, those who did work in January and February, with lesser hours, maybe 15 hours, 20 hours, and they did that diligently, but they'll only be allowed, but they'll only be allowed, their employers will only be allowed to claim the wage subsidy for those hours that they worked. So, meaning, they will be left behind again, because the employees that worked full hours are entitled to get the wage subsidy fully for 40 hours or 39 hours. Because those employees will be considered first, and the ones that have lesser hours won't be considered at all. Like the others, Minister, I want to make a case for entertainers, musicians, from all around the country, who worked and had to make people enjoy their nights out and their evenings out or whatever, whether it was the traditional musicians, whether it was the ornery ballet group that played in lounges or in pubs, and even the Dublin city ramblers, who played in Kilgarvin year after year, and all the other massive entertainers, they have been left behind, and I'm appealing to you, Minister, they have serious costs, and they gave great enjoyment, and great benefit to all those who listen to them, and who look forward to listening to them again. They have been, they are not allowed to work now, and I appeal to you, Minister, that this embargo on those people who played in local pubs and clubs, that they be allowed to work as soon as possible, also they should get some kind of financial assistance to keep them going in the meantime. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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