Government to increase budget to €6.5 billion to combat inflation
The Government is planning to unveil a budget package of more than €6.5 billion, with significant increases in spending for tax changes and welfare increases.
As The Irish Times reports, Ministers and officials were on Sunday night finalising the Summer Economic Statement, and sources said it will see an increase in spending of more than €2 billion in comparison to last year’s budget.
The Government originally planned for a budget day package which included €1 billion in new spending measures and €500 million for tax changes.
It is thought €1.5 billion will now be put aside for new expenditure, with spending on new tax measures to increase from €500 million to €1 billion.
Army to be on standby at Dublin Airport from Wednesday
From Wednesday, the Defence Forces will be on standby at Dublin Airport in the case of any security staff shortages.
The six-week emergency plan is aimed at preventing flight cancellations and reducing long queues during the busy summer holiday season.
Members of the Defence Forces will be on standby from from July 6th to August 15th.
The plan will be triggered if more than 20 per cent of airport security staff are out of work with covid-19.
The union representing security staff at the airport met with the DAA on Friday following complaints that security staff would not work alongside the army if drafted in.
The union confirmed, under the circumstances of a covid-19 outbreak among staff, security staff will not be asked or required to work alongside the Defence Forces or to train them.
Doctors urge public to stay at home if showing Covid-19 symptoms
Representatives for the two main organisations for the medical profession have called on the public to stay at home if they are experiencing any symptoms which could be Covid-19.
Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation and Dr Nuala O’Connor of the Irish College of General Practitioners both told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that the public should assume that any symptoms such as a sore throat, cough, blocked nose, were actually Covid-19 and stay at home.
“It would be selfish to go out,” Dr McCauley said.
Dr O’Connor pointed out that by the time people attend their GP with symptoms they are two to three days into their infection, but had attended social events or went to work and spread the infection.
New Covid-19 loan scheme to provide credit up to €1.5m to small businesses
A new Covid-19 Loan scheme is to be launched on Monday for small to medium size businesses struggling to cope with the impacts of the pandemic.
The loans will range from €25,000 up to €1.5 m and provide lines of credit up to six years, according to the Irish Examiner.
Businesses including farmers, food producers and the fishing industry will be included in the scheme.
The State backed scheme will be available to businesses who have experienced an adverse impact of a minimum of 15 per cent in turnover or profit due to the impact of the pandemic.
Two in five people believe the Covid-19 pandemic will never be fully over
Two in five people believe the Covid-19 pandemic will never be fully over, according to research carried out by Ipsos for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA).
The research, measuring public attitudes to Covid-19 vaccination and to vaccination in general, shows that half of people believe the Covid-19 pandemic will end eventually while 39 per cent believe it will never fully be over.
Just 10 per cent believe the pandemic has already ended.
More than four in five people, or 82 per cent, believe vaccines are effective while 76 per cent of people trust the medical evidence about vaccines.
