Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020

Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Ceisteanna (189, 192, 195, 196, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 223)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Ceist:

189. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a business (details supplied) that sells a mix of products can remain open with a non-essential part sectioned off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32764/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Emer Higgins

Ceist:

192. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if guidelines will be provided to clothing retailers for which their primary source of sales is fashion clothing (details supplied); and his views on the matter of loopholes being used by a minority of retailers to operate against the spirit of the level 5 restrictions. [33059/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

195. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if essential retail outlets that also sell non-essential goods must close those departments and sections of their store that would be deemed non-essential under level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33211/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Collins

Ceist:

196. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will clarify the position in relation to small retailers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33233/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

198. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to ensure that the purchase of children’s clothes is classified as essential retail under levels 4 and 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33319/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Holly Cairns

Ceist:

199. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the purchase of children’s clothes, underwear and winter jacks can be classified as essential retail under levels 4 and 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33321/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Claire Kerrane

Ceist:

200. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the closure of retail is causing difficulties for new parents who cannot go into a shop to buy baby clothes; if these restrictions will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33435/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

201. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the regulations regarding essential retail outlets and the sale of non-essential items in these retail outlets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33604/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

202. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the regulations made in relation to the items supermarkets and other shops may sell during the operation of level 5. [33711/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Steven Matthews

Ceist:

203. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if retailers, including supermarkets, are permitted to sell children's clothes and shoes under level 5 restrictions. [33895/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Danny Healy-Rae

Ceist:

223. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding small businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32938/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 189, 192, 195, 196, 198 to 203, inclusive, and 223 together.

Under Level 5 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19, only essential retail outlets will remain open.

S.I. No. 448 of 2020 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 clearly sets out the temporary restrictions under Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID. A list of essential services can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/ and the list of essential retail outlets at Level 5 can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-5/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60ecc-essential-retail-outlets-for-level-4/

Level 5 restricts people from physically going into non-essential stores in order to stop people congregating and browsing for non-essential goods, to limit the spread of the virus. All retailers – essential and non-essential – can however continue to trade via ‘remote ordering’ and fulfil orders for all products including non-essential items, by online or by phone, for home delivery and for collection.

Mixed retailers have been asked to separate their stock and only sell the items that are essential. This is to encourage all of us to stay at home and shop local and to ensure fairness to those non-essential retailers who have had to close.

I and my colleague Minister of State English met with the Retail Forum members on 21 October to remind those in the retail sector, of the need for strict adherence to the public health guidelines during Level 5. Minister English met again with the Retail Forum and major multiple grocery retailers on 28 October to reinforce this message and will convene a further meeting on 4 November.

I would like to thank retailers and their customers for their efforts at this difficult time. By each of us following the spirit of these new rules and working together we can hopefully return to a lower level of the Living with Covid-19 framework.

Barr
Roinn