18 March 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
O’Sullivan calls for drastic measures to help out SME sector
Cork South West TD, Christopher O’Sullivan has called for the introduction of some drastic measures to help out the SME sector which is on it’s knees due to the coronavirus outbreak. Deputy O’Sullivan said “There are some very brave business people out there who have made incredibly brave decisions in the interest of public health. I salute them and I am very proud of them for making these decision. However, those decisions have come at a cost to them and their employees and we now as a state must intervene to help them out.”
He continued: “First I want to commend the public health officials and indeed the government on some of the steps that they have introduced in order to curb the spread of the virus. Closing down schools, mass gatherings and pubs was the correct decision. However, now we need to start thinking of the impact that this will have on people’s lives, particularly, financially.” He said he welcomed the new social welfare payments to cater for the self employed and their employees who lost their jobs but now he said, more needs to be done.”
File photo of Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West Christopher O’Sullivan during his tenure as Mayor of the County of Cork
Deputy O’Sullivan continued: “There are steps that we can take to ease the burden especially on SME’s, for example there should be a suspension on PRSI payments, there should be a suspension on rates, there should be a suspension on VAT payments and as I called for at the very outset of this outbreak, we need to see the reduction of VAT in the hospitality sector, back to 9% straight away.”
He said there are other steps we can take. “In some countries, to help the SME sector, they have suspended rent payments and the banks have suspended loan payments. We have to look at all these options in order to help the SME sector get back on it’s feet.
These are unprecedented times. In just 24 hours, over 140,000 jobs went nationally and in many ways it was unavoidable, but now we need to bounce back and we need to show solidarity with people throughout all sectors of life and I propose that we take these drastic measures immediately.”