Lockdown fund needed to support businesses in Kildare, Laois and Offaly
Kildare South based Labour Senator Mark Wall has called for the creation of a lockdown fund to support businesses and those who had booked staycations as the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are placed on a two week localised lockdown.
Senator Wall said:
“A fund must be established in the form of grants to further support hard pressed businesses who now must cease trading once more. A special funded targeted at the three counties is needed to provide financial support to get firms through the short-term set of restrictions, it could be the difference between a firm surviving and not and must be contingent on these businesses keeping their staff in jobs.
“I am thinking in particular of the hospitality industry who have been forced to cancel all of their bookings for the next number of weeks, unless they receive additional supports they may not be able to reopen.
“People have been urged to book staycations and holiday at home. We have been contacted by many people who have had staycations booked and have now been told at the last minute that they cannot travel. The Government needs to step in and compensate people who have been forced to cancel their holidays due to no fault of their own.These include people within the counties that have booked holidays and those who had booked to come to the three counties
“Ordinary people and businesses in Kildare, Laois and Offaly have been pinned to their collar and want to follow public health advice and directions but they need additional supports to get them through the uncertainty of the next few weeks.
“The Government need to urgently announce a package of targeted financial supports for businesses and people in the affected counties before irreversible damage is done to livelihoods in Kildare, Laois and Offaly.