The government has approved the Economic Recovery Plan – pledging to have employment pass 2019 levels by 2024!
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is set to be phased out between September and February – while the Wage Subsidy Scheme has been extended until the end of the year.
Tánaiste and Minister for Business Leo Varadkar has said the plan will lead to the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs:
”I believe that with this plan our economy is going to take off like a rocket in the months ahead. Its about restoring our public finances to good health through employment not austerity, by going for growth not retrenchment and aiming for a rapid recovery.”
However Government plans to phase out the Pandemic Unemployment Payment faced scathing criticism in the Dail this afternoon.
The leader of Sinn Fein Mary Lou Mc Donald and Social Democrats Co-Leader Roisin Shortall challenged the Taoiseach over the proposals:
Mary Lou McDonald said ”It is wrong when those workers cannot return to work because of a public health emergency to punish them Taoiseach, That is not fair!”
While Ms Shorthall also enquired of Michéal Martin as what he was hoping to achieve….
”So why Taoiseach have you done what you swore you would not do? Created a cliff edge for those in receipt of this payment which will undoubtedly lead many more into poverty.”
Also as part of plans, houses built after 2013 are set to be brought under the local property tax under changes approved by cabinet this morning.
A review will take place in November to revalue all homes and end the practice where properties built after 2013 were not being charged property tax.
