Plea for Economy Minister not to leave out some busineses from COVID-19 help packages
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly wants assurances for businesses which ‘fell through the cracks of previous schemes’.
“We are now into another period of restrictions, a package of measures proposed by the joint First Ministers and agreed to by the Executive.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Workers, businesses and communities will all feel the strain and hardship of the restrictions that have been announced but it is vital that as we work to protect public health, the Executive steps up to protect the economy too.
“During the previous lockdown, many workers and industries were excluded by the schemes designed by the Economy Minister. These people cannot be left behind and left in hardship again.
“The SDLP isn’t interested in political squabbling or Ministers who pass the buck.
“The reality is the Department of Economy is now creating a financial support scheme for those who aren’t included in Minister Murphy’s recently announced scheme. Instead of picking and choosing what parts of the economy Minister Dodds wants to help, she needs to operate as the Minister for the whole Economy and leave no one behind.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The DUP agreed at the Executive to include driving instructors on the list of close contacts, but the Economy Minister who is creating a scheme for those affected, has not confirmed to the industry that they will be included.
“The SDLP and our Minister stand ready to support the Economy Minister in delivering a clear, simplified scheme that will protect the livelihoods of everyone and not just some.”
A Department for the Economy spokesperson said: “The Minister will be urgently bringing forward the details of additional support schemes in the coming days to provide support to any businesses restricted by Health Regulations but not covered by the Localised Restrictions Support Scheme. The regulations state that close contact services are not permitted to operate – this includes driving instructors (except for motorcycle instruction). Therefore it is the Minister’s intention to include them in the support scheme.”
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.
Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.
You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWith a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.
Thank you
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.