Danny Healy-Rae urges corona payment for forgotten coach drivers
Danny Healy-Rae spoke in the Dáil about the plight of coach operators, tour and school bus operators, and seasonal drivers who missed pandemic payments. He appealed to the Taoiseach to ensure those drivers receive the €350 corona payment, arguing they have been forgotten.
Appeal for coach operators and drivers
Danny Healy-Rae pressed the Taoiseach on behalf of coach companies, tour operators, school bus operators and the drivers who work for them. He highlighted that many drivers were seasonal workers who did not receive a corona payment and said their stamps are gone and they have nothing to look forward to this winter.
Taoiseach outlines existing supports
The Taoiseach responded by listing supports available to the sector, including the wage subsidy scheme, the Restart Grant now up to £25,000, expanded six-month rates relief, and a facility to offset losses this year against last year’s profits. He also mentioned the credit guarantee scheme for refinancing at lower interest and longer terms.
Job stimulus programme and sector fund
The Taoiseach said the July stimulus included additional measures and that, critically, the job stimulus programme has set aside a 10 million euro fund specifically for the coach sector. The Taoiseach indicated that when existing supports and the new stimulus measures are added together they represent a significant lifeline for companies.
Transport-specific scheme and next steps
The Taoiseach said the minister responsible for transport will design a specific scheme to support coach operators and that the 10 million euro scheme will be available through the Department of Transport. Danny Healy-Rae urged the government to engage with the industry to ensure the supports reach those affected.
Seasonal workers and the employment subsidy scheme
The Taoiseach noted that seasonal workers have been included in the new employment subsidy scheme, while they had not been included in earlier schemes, addressing one of the Deputy’s central concerns.
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I too want to support the plight of the coach operators, both the tour operators and the school bus operators and then there's one group of people that have been forgotten is the drivers of these coaches. They got no corona payment because they were seasonal workers, especially the tour ones. If the lockdown hadn't happened until the 1st of April, all of them would have been working. But all of them have been forgotten, Taoiseach. And their stamps are gone and they have nothing to look forward to this winter. And I'm appealing to you to ensure that those people, those drivers, that they get the corona payment now of €350 because they're well entitled to Taoiseach. Thank you, Deputy. Taoiseach, to wrap up on this matter, please. Yeah, just thank all the deputies for raising the issue in relation to coach companies and bus coaches and so on, and the issues in relation to how they have suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it has to be said that the wage subsidy scheme has been a major benefit to a lot of sectors, including this sector, in enabling people to stay intact. Just let me speak please and finish. The Restart Grant is now up to £25,000 and is available to those businesses as well. The rates relief is now fully expanded and of six months duration is also an available support, as indeed is the facility to offset any loss this year in tax terms against profits of last year. So all of that added up will help, and there is a facility to refinance through the credit guarantee scheme for lower interest and longer terms, but critically also in the job stimulus program, there is 10 million euro fund has been put aside specifically for this sector. And the minister responsible for transport will now be designing a specific scheme to support the coach operators from here on in. So if you take all the existing supports, the additional ones that were announced in the July stimulus, which are significant, and when you add them all up together, they do represent a significant lifeline to companies to stay intact and to stay operating. But in addition to all of that, then you have the 10 million euro scheme, which will be available through the Department of Transport, and we will talk to the minister. Thank you very much. If you really engage with the industry. Thank you. Well, the seasonal workers have actually been included in the new employment subsidy scheme. They didn't get included in the old, and they didn't get included in the older state. Be giddy ray, please. Please. Please.
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