Deputy Mary Lou McDonald - speech from 20 Oct 2020

Ceann Comhairle. Thaiseach, this morning people have woken up with a great sense of anxiety and, indeed, uncertainty for the future. Last night the news that the state was to be moved to level five from midnight tomorrow until the end of November is the source of this uncertainty and anxiety. Thaiseach, I understand fully that this was a hard decision for government. I also know that it is an even harder decision for all of those who bear the inevitable brunt of the hardship that this will bring. And I think it would be, Count Corlea, impossible today to overstate the level of concern and, in some cases, distress that is among our people. I fully accept that action had to be taken. There is no doubt that the virus is transmitting exponentially. What we now have, Thaiseach, is six weeks to do the things that I believe your government should have done during the summer months when we achieved a very low transmission rate of COVID-19. At that time, through collective action, effort and sacrifice, we suppressed the virus and, with the right plan, I am absolutely confident that we can do it again. But we cannot lose this second window of opportunity to build capacity and our defences for the time ahead. So, we need to see a plan, Thaiseach, for increasing hospital bed capacity, the rapid recruitment of staff. We have to get testing and tracing right. We need a plan to ensure a secure and affordable roof over our people's heads. And we need to get things right as regards people coming onto the island through our airports and ports. Because I think it would be unthinkable that in six weeks' time, we would meet again, not having responded to these challenges. And we need a strategy that brings us beyond 2020. This must be an all-island strategy. Thaiseach, I was taken aback at your comments last night, which seemed to suggest that we will move in and out of lockdown for the duration of 2021. I would like you to clarify that point for us. A lot is being asked of people over the next six weeks, and the government absolutely cannot sleepwalk its way through this lockdown. So, everything that needs to be done must be done to ensure that we emerge stronger at every level. I want to welcome the fact that you have addressed your devastating cut to the PUP and the wage subsidy scheme. As you know, we were very concerned that you hadn't done so in last week's budget. And you now need to ensure that these payments don't leave anybody behind. One group that is struggling and has been left behind, Thaiseach, is mortgage holders. We argued very strongly that the mortgage payment breaks should have been extended for homeowners and businesses. That was at the end of September, in fact, just three short weeks ago. And yet the government failed to secure these protections. And now, three short weeks later, we are on the eve of 200,000 people losing their jobs. Do you now accept that this was a very grave error in judgment on the part of your government, and in particular the Minister for Finance? Do you accept that this failure will have very serious implications for the credit ratings of tens of thousands of families and indeed businesses? You could have done something about this, Thaiseach, but you failed to do so, and that is shocking. And you can't blame people for thinking that the cosy relationship between your partners in government, Fine Gael, and the world of high finance was a key reason as to why government sat on its hands and allowed this to occur. So I want to ask you, Thaiseach, who is calling the banks in? Will you be in contact with them directly yourself? And will you make it clear to them that they must play ball in giving easement and breathing space to mortgage holders? Well, first of all, I do accept that moving to level five creates a lot of anxiety and difficulties and challenges for people, particularly people in employment who will now lose their jobs. Enterprises who have struggled through the pandemic and who, since the reopening up right up to now, were endeavouring through hard work and putting in place safe protocols, endeavouring to save their enterprises and keep them going. And to a large extent, many did. And to be hit by having to move into level five is a huge blow to them. That has to be accepted. That's why it is a very difficult decision to move to level five. And I know that from talking to all of the leaders over the last two weeks, that all of you were of a view that moving to level five would be very, very difficult indeed. And obviously that is the case. However, protection of public health is paramount. And also Neffet's view, and just to say, the virus thrives on congregation. Where large crowds gather together, the virus spreads. That's the fundamental truth. And therefore we have to avoid large crowds gathering in any context and mixing and engaging. And so we are not proceeding with an elimination strategy as a country. Zero COVID. We're not proceeding with that. We're not proceeding with herd immunity strategy. This virus kills and this virus also damages people for the long term in terms of it can have long term health implications. So the strategy that's then to be followed is one of suppression. And you asked the question that I held out the prospect last evening that we are in a cycle. We are. But it's very much subject to human behaviour. All of us. In terms of reducing congregation, reducing the gathering of people in large numbers. And that's not, I'm not saying that. Neffet have said this to us. And I do foresee, I'm just being very candid with the Oireachtas. I do foresee a period where you will have periods of higher level restrictions, followed by lower level restrictions. And if necessary, followed by higher level restrictions again, if the virus continues, you know, it spreads during the reopening phase. And it's not fair. I think the testing capacity has, we're testing way more people than we did in the fourth phase. The CMO was on the news at once saying that we're testing at an unprecedented rate right now. And the serial testing programmes are picking up a lot of cases, particularly in nursing homes and in other locations. And they've also been in the schools as well. And up to 13,000 students and teachers will have been tested. And I do think it's important. And I think the positivity rate is around 3% there. So it's important that we set that as a societal objective and priority, that we keep our schools going. And you spoke about, you know, people having a roof over their head. And that's why construction has been kept going. That's why we're allowing construction. Because we have a homeless crisis. We have a housing crisis. We need to build homes. We've lost ground during the first lockdown. And our construction sector took a bigger hit than any other country across Europe as a result of the lockdown in terms of output and in terms of houses built. So we're behind the new government before the new government was even formed. It's behind in terms of targets for 220 because of the lockdown. So we have to really keep building houses because of the crisis and homelessness. And in the need, the long social housing lists and in the need for people generally for housing. On the all island approach, I think you're well aware of the situation. Your parties in government in the north realises more than anyone in the house the difficulties and sensitivities that are endeavouring to reach an agreement within the north. Never mind on an all island basis. I've been in touch with party leaders in the north. And as to whether they're going to move to a higher level or not is a matter for the northern executives at this stage. They've had challenges and difficulties in arriving at the decision that arose last week. On the banks, finally, you know well the European Banking Authority coordinated a European wide approach to mortgage breaks and loan payment breaks in the context of the first lockdown, which was European wide. And that was the context in which government could do what it did on that occasion. The Minister of Finance will be engaging with the banks on this issue because our entire approach has been to alleviate as much distress as possible. Increasing and bringing in new tears in the pandemic unemployment payment, the employment wage subsidy, the new subsidy brought in in the budget, the COVID restrictions subsidy scheme for companies that will be closed for a longer period as a result of this pandemic. So all of our approach has been to try and help where we can to alleviate the stress and pressures on people. Well, you're right. The European Banking Authority did indeed oversee and supervise the regime for mortgage breaks. And under those rules, Germany, Spain, Italy, mortgage holders there got payment breaks for 12 months. In this state, we got three months, followed by three months, which is six months, half of the time allowed to mortgage holders in other jurisdictions. And you know, as well as I do, that an extension to the mortgage breaks had to be agreed and secured by the 30th of September. You know, you know, and I know that your ministers for finance and the Tánaiste waltzed into a meeting with bankers, had a conversation with them on the 28th of September, and there was no extension to mortgage breaks. That was three weeks ago. And now we are facing level five restrictions and 200,000 people will find themselves out of work. And those already out of work are reporting to us, to MABS and to other authorities that the banks are not facilitating them. They are not offering them alternative payment methods. In fact, they are saying to them, that's too bad. Your mortgage isn't sustainable. We're offering you no alternative. And do you know what that's a recipe for, Taoiseach? That's a recipe for repossession of people's homes. So I'm asking you, having messed up at the end of September, disgracefully allowing the banks to return to business as usual. I am asking you as head of government to intervene now and to make sure that the banks play ball and offer customers all of the relevant options. You continue to play the populist card. I think the first thing you could do is talk to your party colleagues in the north and get them to do better, get them to do much better in terms of mortgage breaks. They are only offering a three-month payment break that can be extended after an assessment. Unlike the Irish payment break which offered six months in total without assessment. So you need to get your own house in order. You continue to lecture people here all the time about what we should be doing and you don't do it and deliver it where you have power. And where you're in government. And it's always somebody else's responsibility but never yours. That is always your story in terms of any issue. And the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expansion don't waltz in to meet the banks. Like less nonsense. They go in there to seek the best deal they can, the right deal and the best outcome. Because a payment break in itself is only a payment break. It's not in itself sufficient medium term to deal with people in loan distress or in difficulties with their mortgage arrears. And the Minister for Finance will engage with the banks on this. And within the ECB framework and the European statutory framework we did everything. And in fact would have been more generous than some of the countries that you referenced by the way. Thank you. And you've been deliberately again at the start of in terms of your assessments and assertions there. Sorry. I think this is somebody else's turn note. Thank you. These deputies. Deputy Allen. So are you there not. So are you there still any Elders. Alright. Oh, that's not again. That's a matter. This is my Ben. Sorry. I agree. I agree. I agree. Before you go with that document, can you put here? The new that document, the document... Agency is a number, it will have gone through all directions in theaupt Kind restaurants. But what? He needs to be better unless it is necessary. I agree. I agree. My Lord, the Cap of Estado, the President, that and Domingo... I agree. The Newfoundland Nuclear gezeigt Laporte, the Board, but the Chancellor and the reasonable