Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD has said that commentary in recent days by the Taoiseach and Fine Gael Ministers in respect of low paid workers stands in stark contrast with Fine Gael’s failure to end the rip off in banking and insurance during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said:

“In the past number of days, the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and now the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation have refused to offer certainty to workers and families relying on emergency income supports at this time through no fault of their own. These are supports that are required to pay the rent and keep food on the table.

“It is clear that in order to provide cover for scrapping or reducing the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the coming weeks, Fine Gael have engaged in almost daily attacks on those in receipt of the payment with constant references to low paid workers earning more under the Covid-19 payment.

“They are using anomalies that they created to sew divisiveness and undermine the massive social solidarity that has seen us through the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This attitude stands in stark contrast with Fine Gael’s behaviour when it comes to reigning in banks and the insurance industry, who in the midst of this crisis have been allowed to charge interest on top of interest on mortgage repayments and who are refusing to pay out on Covid-19 related claims.”