Danny Healy-Rae urges pandemic payments for North Kerry firms
Danny Healy-Rae warned that tourism-dependent businesses in North Kerry are struggling and urged the minister to extend pandemic payments. He said suppliers, hotels, restaurants, small hostelry businesses, taxi and bus operators face reduced trade and risk closures or job losses.
Tourism and suppliers
He highlighted that North Kerry is predominantly a tourist county and that suppliers of fish and meat who served hotels, restaurants and small hostelry businesses have seen a sharp fall in orders. Many of these suppliers are worried they will have to shed employees or may have to close because their businesses are seriously impacted.
Taxi and bus operators at risk
He reported that taxi operators and bus drivers are particularly concerned. Taxi drivers told him they can manage for a few weeks, but they see trouble looming when local holidaymakers return home and children go back to school in August or early September, putting operators at risk of being unable to survive.
Call for continued pandemic payment
He urged the minister to consider these needs and to continue the pandemic payment. He said drivers who are working for other operators have returned to work but remain very concerned and will need the pandemic payment to continue at least until the season begins next March.
Local economic outlook
He warned that many businesses are only half operating and, with tourists not returning to previous levels, trade is not what it was. He noted that these businesses would prefer to remain open but fear they cannot continue without targeted support and extended payments.
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Thank you, Minister. Minister, I just want to point out there is a need there for businesses that maybe are not closed but don't have as much business as they had heretofore. North Kerry is predominantly a tourist county and suppliers of fish and meat were supplying hotels and restaurants and small hostelry businesses. They haven't been able to command as much business and they are very worried that they will have to shed employees or they may have to close down articles because their business is seriously impacted. Even though they are in order to close down themselves because others are closed, they are hot very badly as well. Now there are another type of people like taxi operators, bus operators. Taxi fellows have me told they will go back for a few weeks. What they can see is trouble looming when we say the local people on vacation, when they dry up or go back, the children go back to school in August or early September, they may not be able to survive. They may not be able to survive. In fact, they feel they won't be able to survive without payments. Even drivers who are working for other operators, they have gone back but they are very concerned and they will need the pandemic payment to be continued at least until the season begins next March. I hope that everything will be back to normal then. But you need to consider their needs, Minister, and I am asking you to do that, the board sector. And there are others, there are other different businesses that are kind of half operating at the present time, but as tourists are not coming in the drawers that they had and the business is not like they had before, they won't be able to continue. They are mad to stay working and would be delighted to be able to continue working, but that is not going to happen. Thanks very much for your to wear. A thank you. Thank you.
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