Marian Harkin urges clearer mask guidance and supports local grants
Marian Harkin spoke about COVID-19 public messaging, mask guidance, and financial support for businesses and community groups, urging clearer regional outreach and larger, targeted grants. She paid tribute to Dr Tony Holohan and asked the Taoiseach for clarity on small schemes aimed at community-run centres.
Mask guidance and public messaging
Ms Harkin criticised inconsistent messaging on mask wearing, saying guidance has not been clear and warning that "we run the risk of letting the perfect become the enemy of the good." She called for concise public information that makes clear that masks, while not perfect, do make a difference.
Regional outreach and local media
She urged that public awareness campaigns be spread regionally through local newspapers and radio to support local media and ensure information reaches all parts of the country.
Tribute to Dr Tony Holohan and coordinated response
Ms Harkin paid tribute to Dr Tony Holohan on his stepping back and emphasised the importance of a coordinated response from the office to give the public confidence.
Grant aid for businesses and SMEs
She raised concerns about the level and balance of grant aid versus loans, noting the average restart grant here is around €3,000 compared with larger averages cited in the UK and Germany. She said the July stimulus should consider rebalancing support and increasing grant levels for struggling SMEs.
Support for community and voluntary groups
Ms Harkin highlighted groups that run community centres as small businesses—offering language classes, dance lessons and other activities—many of which did not qualify for COVID-specific payments and face debts before reopening. She noted a €1,000 scheme announced by the minister who left and that another minister provided some funding, but asked for clarity on eligibility and called for targeted support for these community-run centres.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you, I suppose, because I'm new here, my question is, is it automatic or does it happen just in? Thank you, thank you. Now, you talked about coordinated response from your office and people want to hear that because it gives them confidence and I suppose when I have the few seconds I would like, like most other people here, everybody I'm sure, to pay tribute to Dr. Tony Holaghan and his work and he has stepped back but I know that the good wishes of the entire country go with him. Now, you spoke about public awareness campaigns around COVID-19 and I just want to reiterate, it's not a question, Tisha, but the importance of making sure that we have a proper regional spread when it comes to giving out that message in local newspapers, local radio stations as well. Obviously, that will be some help in supporting local media but more importantly, it will ensure that good public information reaches all parts of the country and I know one or two deputies have raised the issue of masks. I think this is my fourth time to raise it here and I'm not being critical for the sake of it but the messaging around masks has not been clear. I know a lot of people who are more than willing to do what they are asked to follow the guidance and many of those people have no real clarity around mask wearing and I think we run the risk of letting the perfect become the enemy of the good. It's not perfect if I wear a mask but it does make a difference and I think that message has not got out there clearly and concisely to people and I think further efforts are needed there. Now, you spoke earlier about investment-led jobs and recovery initiative and I addressed the last Taoiseach a few times on this issue and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to raise it with you and that is, and I know we have our July stimulus coming, but the idea that we look to rebalance between grant aid and loans for businesses and SMEs. Yes, you have the restart grant of 3,000. Comparatively speaking, let's say to the UK or Germany or several other countries, it's quite small by comparison. The average grant in the UK is around 10,000. In Germany, for a company up to 10 people, it's up to 15,000. So, I do think we need to look at the size of the grant aid. But also, of course, it's connected to rates that you paid last year. So, our average grant is around 3,000. I know it can be up to 10,000, but the average is 3. But many businesses, of course, don't pay rates and I know Minister Daugherty, before she left, announced a new scheme of 1,000 euro for those businesses. It's a very small scheme. The costs are significant for many of these businesses, but the specific issue I want to raise with you is around community groups, voluntary groups, who run their local community centre as a business. It might have, perhaps, language classes or Irish dancing classes or whatever, something to bring in a bit of revenue week on week to keep the place open. Unless these groups were specifically involved in COVID-related activities, and Minister Reign did give some money, but unless they were involved in that, then they're not getting any money. So, Taoiseach, I have tried to find clarity as to whether this 1,000 euro would be available to these groups, etc., but I haven't been able to find any clarity. Perhaps you can, and like me, but even if not, I just want to make the point that these groups need to be supported specifically, not huge sums of money, but they have a level of debt that they want to clear before they open the door, so I just ask you to keep that in mind. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
