Future of Pandemic support payments to be outlined tomorrow

May 31, 2021 News Desk

The €19m investment announced by Minister Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland will build 22 world-class, accessible Water Based Activity Facility Centres, creating new opportunities for activity operators & new experiences for locals & visitors. [IMAGE OF ARCHITECTS RENDER] News release Thursday April 15th 2021 Minister Martin and Fáilte Ireland announce €19 million investment to develop state-of-the-art facilities for outdoor water-based activities 22 locations nationwide will be developed The significant increase in people enjoying outdoor water-based activities such as kayaking, surfing, paddle-boarding and open water swimming is expected to continue to grow year on year, and not just during the summer months.  This means all-weather changing facilities, secure storage and bathrooms at beaches and inland water spots will be in huge demand. To meet this demand Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland are today announcing a major new investment worth €19million.  The funding will be used to build world-class facility centres at 22 locations across the country where water-based activities are a key visitor attraction. (see full list in notes to editor). Each centre will provide hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, secure storage, induction spaces, equipment washdown and orientation points. They will be fully wheelchair accessible and built using sustainability best practices such as solar heating panels to meet ‘Nearly Zero Energy Building Standards’*. This investment scheme, developed in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Local Authorities, will support the local economy and the outdoor activity sector by significantly enhancing the overall visitor experience, providing new business opportunities in local communities and allowing for the extension of the tourism season beyond the traditional summer months.  A second phase is expected to commence in 2023 under Fáilte Ireland’s Platform

Cabinet Ministers will sign off on plans for the National Economic Recovery tomorrow.

It will include the phasing out of pandemic supports along with plans to get people back to work.

It’s expected the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be phased out from September or October – while business supports like the Emergency Wage Subsidy Scheme will last a while longer before also being removed.

The plan will also set targets for getting people back to work over the coming years.

It’s likely some government TDs will push for a raising of core social welfare rates as a long standing measure, for people who will go from getting a max rate of 350 a week back to 205 euro a week.