Publicans are extremely worried about the long-term impact of Covid-19 on their businesses and their future. Many business owners feel they will not be in a position to open properly until a vaccine is found and they will require major financial support until that time. Social distancing is extremely difficult to maintain in a pub setting, but keeping pubs closed indefinitely is resulting in a massive surge in home drinking and uncontrolled house parties. This is contributing to the spread of Covid-19 and an increase in domestic violence, and it is building up a host of future health and social problems. Many publicans are over 66 years of age and do not qualify for the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP. A large number of pubs and bars were struggling to remain open prior to the start of the pandemic. The pub provides a very important focal point in towns and in rural and isolated communities. In many cases, it is the only social outlet available to vulnerable or elderly people who live alone. Its social importance cannot be overestimated. I ask the Tánaiste to introduce a package of significant measures under the July stimulus package to help publicans remain viable until a vaccine is found.

I support Deputy Grealish. In my own constituency, as is the case for many other Deputies, the issue of whether pubs can remain viable in the long term is a cause for concern. Even if they do reopen under the next phase, when one takes into account the social distancing requirements, for a lot of pubs, especially smaller ones, reopening might not be feasible. Pubs and bars employ more than 50,000 people and we need a package to support publicans to get them over the next 12 months, by which time a vaccine will hopefully be available, and enable them to remain viable. Otherwise, we will have mass closures of bars and pubs, which are needed in our communities.

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I share their sentiments. I too would like to see pubs and bars open on 10 August if it is possible for them to do so within the public health guidelines. I hope we will be able to make that decision in the affirmative next Tuesday but I cannot guarantee it at this stage. I totally agree that pubs offer significant employment throughout the country and are also really important to our social fabric, not just in rural areas but in urban areas too. A package will be in place to support them. In fact, it is here already and it includes no commercial rates for six months, a restart grant of between €4,000 and €25,000 for every pub, the wage subsidy scheme to allow publicans to take back or take on staff and have their pay subsidised by the State, a VAT cut of 2% applying to alcohol beverages, and the spend and save scheme, which will apply to food. Will we consider doing more? We can do so, but I think there is already a substantial package in place. The problem is that the pub owners cannot open and I hope that question can be decided in the affirmative next week.