The government’s latest Covid-19 plan, revealed yesterday evening (Tuesday, February 23) by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, has been sharply criticised as “utterly failing” rural Ireland.
Speaking today, independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice claimed that the plan “offered absolutely nothing for a rural Ireland that is languishing in lockdown”.
“Caution and fear have replaced reason and common sense when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus crisis,” he claimed.
There is a worrying absence of hard data and of certainty on the return of school pupils.
“There are also grave concerns over the state of small subcontractors who face the possibility of financial ruin if supports are not forthcoming. As it stands, we are way behind on house building targets and the majority of Europe has already reopened their construction industries,” the Roscommon-Galway TD highlighted.
Fitzmaurice said that “the least this government could do” is seek a moratorium on repayments of between three and six months for contractors from banks and financial institutions.
Morale
The TD argued the proposals will “do absolutely nothing to halt the accelerating deterioration of morale amongst the citizens of rural Ireland who are looking for leadership”.
He claimed that there was “no logic” to the lockdown of construction sites; and that measures must be put in place to support the hospitality sector.
We are going to have to, very shortly, consider how we deal with the consequences of lock-down and simply promising ‘reviews’ is not an acceptable strategy.
Fitzmaurice called on the government to be “far more precise” with its timeline for vaccination and reopening.
“People need to have some hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. They don’t want to hear about further reviews and assessments. We need definite timelines of when all the various sectors can re-open, even if it is on a phased basis,” he said.
Fitzmaurice concluded: “Above all, this government needs to understand that – for rural Ireland in particular – appeals to hold firm are no longer enough.”