Danny Healy-Rae demands hotels and pubs reopen on June 29
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae called on the Taoiseach to reopen hotels and pubs on 29 June and to reduce physical distancing from two metres to one metre to revive tourism in Kerry and elsewhere. He urged targeted supports for SMEs, clarity for bus and coach operators, and criticised Green policies affecting farmers.
Demand to reopen hotels and pubs
He urged the Taoiseach to open hotels and pubs the same day as restaurants and cafes on 29 June, citing travel agents and airlines saying Spain will open on 1 July. He warned that communities in Kerry - including Killarney, Dingle, Cahersiveen and right around the Ring of Kerry - need those few weeks before schools return in late August or the season will be lost and many businesses will not reopen.
Physical distancing and WHO guidance
He called for the two-metre rule to be adjusted down to one metre, pointing to WHO advice and noting that significant funds have been given to the WHO. He argued the programme for government should prioritise getting the economy back up and running rather than focusing predominantly on climate issues.
Support for tourism businesses and transport operators
He said most SMEs and tourism businesses will need grants and a cash injection similar to Germany's support, and highlighted the lack of guidance for bus and coach tours about seating capacities. He noted tour operators are trying to sell trips for 2021 but face uncertainty over how many passengers can be carried on 50-, 30- or 16-seater buses.
Energy project, COVID payments and farming concerns
He urged Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil not to block Shannon LNG and not to cave to the Greens, saying the project would create jobs and provide a second gas source. He also raised unresolved COVID payments for seasonal workers and called for over-66s to be topped up to a COVID payment of €350, while warning that farmers are receiving insufficient assistance.
Criticism of environmental policies and rural planning
He criticised proposals from Green voices to change farming and rural practice - including advice to cut meat consumption, restrictions on turf cutting, suggestions about planting forestry on good land and limiting planning in rural areas. He said some suggested measures would harm farmers, with marginal land not being eligible for planting, and expressed disappointment with the government's perceived non-assistance to farmers over the last four and a half years.
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Today we hear travel agents and airlines advertising that Spain is opening up on the 1st of July. So in that same vein I'm calling you Taoiseach to open hotels and pubs the same day as restaurants and cafes on the 29th of June. And to give the tourism industry in places like Kerry, places like Killarney, Dingle, Caer Siveen and right around the Ring of Kerry the chance to have a few weeks because we all know and we're hoping that the schools go back the last week of August so you're only talking about six to seven weeks. If you don't open them till the 10th of August it's over then, it's gone then for this year. And many places will just not open. We need businesses and pubs, businesses operating to create jobs and incomes. And to do this we need to adjust the two meters down to one meter. The WHO, who we gave an awful lot of money to, over 9 million, suggest that one meter will do. And you see the program for government should be about getting your economy back up and running. And indeed it seems to me for the last number of months until this week it's been about climate and climate change. And the fact is that our emissions are only 0.13 of 1% in the whole worldwide context. Most businesses and SMEs will need grants to get them up and running. They'll need a cash injection like Germany. Bus and court tours need guidance about seating. Indeed yesterday we heard from a tour operator that they're about trying to sell tours for 2021. But it's not clear how many people will be allowed to sit on a 50-seater bus, indeed a 30-seater bus or a 16-seater bus. And it's not fair in these people that they're getting no guidance. Someone, somewhere, somehow should be able to tell them and guide them along as what will be acceptable. I want Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil not to block Shannon LNG and not to cave in to the Greens. They don't need any money from government and they create an awful lot of jobs. And we do need a second gas source. And T-shirt is still not, have not addressed the need for COVID payments for seasonal workers. And indeed over 66ers who really needed to be brought up to the COVID payment from whatever they were. They were not looking for it on top of what they were getting. 350 just to bring them up to the 350. Indeed farmers are not getting much encouragement or assistance at the present time. You T-shirt advised to cut down on eating meat. Minister Creed says we can't stay farming like our fathers did. Even though that his farmer and everyone around my side of the country even recognises that Donald Creed was a fierce farmer. And landed up here one morning after milking his cows and the place was still open here. The Greens want to just sow seeds in window boxes south facing. They say we shouldn't cut turf. Some other geniuses are saying that we must block drains and make land useless after all the hard work and some of which was actually granted. The Greens know we want no more planning in rural areas, only towns. They want to build their boys and build no more roads indeed in relation to the lay boys. And we had been to the lay boys in Kerry and they were granted for lorry drivers to pull in to have their rest brakes. But they were closed and blocked because it was felt that travellers would camp there. I was very disappointed with Deputy Martin beside me here on the late late when he said that farmers would have to diversify and plant forestry. Well, planting forestry is not acceptable as an income for many, many farmers. Indeed, indeed, around East Cork and North Kerry, we have great land. And the marginal land, just to tell you Taoiseach, we're not allowed to plant marginal land. It's not granted. You have to plant good land. So planting forestry while they're cutting down the rainforest in South America and bringing in beef into Europe is not an option for Irish farmers. And it's not acceptable to come out with that statement. And I'm really disappointed with the leader of Free Default and yourself Taoiseach and your entire government for the non-assistance that they have given farmers over the last four and a half years. Thank you very much, Deputy.
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