Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
76. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which the public sector equality and human rights duty will be reflected in the July stimulus package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18271/20]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty - public bodies’ statutory duty to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, and protect human rights of staff and service users - is the responsibility of all Departments and other public bodies individually.
COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on communities, businesses, families and individuals across the country. The priority of the Government remains the wellbeing of our people and communities and repairing the damage wrought on the economy – and keeping the virus contained – is vital for the wellbeing of our people.
As such, the July Stimulus package is the next step in our national recovery effort and will build on the very significant Exchequer funding, through wage subsidies, the PUP, grants for businesses, low cost loans and commercial rates waivers during the crisis.
The commitments within the July Stimulus are designed to do four things:
- Back our businesses
- Help our people, especially our young people, get back to work
- Build confidence and invest in our communities
- Prepare Ireland for the Economy of the Future
The National Economic Plan, to be developed in parallel with the next Budget, will be the next step in our recovery journey and I expect it will set out a range of actions across Government to support economic recovery over the coming years.
In addition to this, over the next five years, this Government, through commitments in the new Programme for Government, will seek to deliver a better quality of life for all, equality within society and a deeper sense of connection to the natural world around us, and each other. The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty will have an important role to play in this.
