People Before Profit: Government have not learnt lessons from post-Christmas surge- arbitrary construction reopening date shows that
Time to implement Zero-Covid and enhance financial supports for workers and hard-hit sectors effected by pandemic
People Before Profit have said that it is clear that the government have not learnt the lessons from the disastrous decision to open up sectors of the economy before Christmas. They said that the arbitrary date given yesterday from Housing Minster Darragh O’Brien, to reopen the construction sector shows that. The party pointed out that the key is to make decisions such as this when virus levels are under control.
They said that the government must immediately give financial supports and grants to sectors that have been hammered by the pandemic- sole traders, taxi drivers, music events and others.
The party also called for the implementation of a Zero-Covid strategy and for enhanced financial supports to be given to workers and sectors that have been hit hard by the pandemic. They also called for the fuel allowance to be extended to PUP recipients and for the rate of the allowance to be increased due to the extra time people are having to spend at home heating their houses.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “It is quite clear that the government have not learnt their lesson from the disastrous decision to open up the economy before Christmas, when virus levels were too high. This announcement from the Housing Minister to reopen construction when we have no idea what level the virus will be in March is entirely arbitrary and could be another disaster.
“The Taoiseach, in the Mail on Sunday, effectively admitted that his government got it wrong in opening up before Christmas, when virus levels were too high, and there are very worrying signs that these mistakes are about to be repeated. The solution is for the government to implement Zero-Covid and abandon Living with Covid.
“What is crucial is for the government to grant financial support for people and small businesses, like taxi drivers, music events, sole traders and others, whose livelihoods have been hammered by the pandemic.
“The government must also extend the fuel allowance to PUP recipients and increase the rate of the allowance due to the extra time that people are having to spend heating their homes.”