The Beginning of Reopening is Welcome but Many Small Businesses are in Real Trouble - Tóibín
Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on people to shop locally and invest in local businesses, as limited reopening of society begins today.
An Teachta Tóibín:
“Today, we are beginning to see some limited reopening of our society and our economy today which is obviously welcome – but so many of our businesses and local economies are still under lockdown or under serious financial pressure following disproportionate, blanket measures from this government. Today, there are 100 people in Hospital with Covid-19, of these 30 are in ICU. These are incredibly low numbers. For example 480 people will get Cancer today. Yet bars and restaurants remain closed even for outdoor trade. Shops remain closed with some operating by appointment and click and collect only. If Labour, Soc Dems, S-PbP and SF had their way all of these would remain closed for months more. Under their policies, thousands more jobs would be lost and thousands of businesses closed as the country waited for cases to go beneath 10 cases per day, further bankrupting the country.”
“The Government has created a divide in the Hospitality sector. Restaurants and pubs have still no date for indoor dining. They can open for out door dining from the 7th of June nearly a week after Hotels can allow indoor dining. This divide seems arbitrary. If space, capacity density or distancing are the key issues with health and safety surely regulations should be built on these criteria and not whatever the name of the establishment is”.
“2 weeks after the announcement for outdoor dining was made there are still no guidelines. The Statutory Instrument on which out door dining will proceed is not up on the Government Website and you have to wonder has it is even been signed at this stage. Its estimated that less than 40% of pubs and restaurants will open with just out doors. As things stand many restaurants and pubs will be closed for June. The end of June will be the start be the start of the Staycation season proper. Half the tourist season maybe over before restaurants and pubs. This is will hurt many who are already economically hammered”.
“We in Aontú are asking people to try boost our local economies and businesses, by plumping for our family owned local shops over the likes of Amazon. Or giving our business to local pubs and restaurants We are asking citizens, where you can do your best to shop locally. Your local economy desperately needs it. Now is the time to show the government what it really means to be all in this together.”
