The Irish government will provide more targeted financial supports from the third quarter for the sectors that have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as hospitality, tourism, aviation and arts, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said.
Euro zone finance ministers are likely to decide between March and May when and how governments should start tapering support to their economies as vaccination campaigns allow the lifting of lockdowns, officials said this week.
Varadkar said that the Irish government will extend its three main supports - higher jobless payments for those that have been temporarily laid off due to the pandemic, the wage subsidy scheme and grants for businesses that have had to significantly shut down - into the second quarter.
"In the short term, government will extend into quarter two the vital financial supports in place," Varadkar. "We will also provide more targeted financial support beyond quarter two for those sectors that have been particularly wounded by this pandemic, such as aviation, tourism, hospitality, the arts and entertainment."
RAI Welcomes Commitment To Additional Supports
The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) welcomed Varadkar's commitment to additional supports.
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