Dublin Chamber has welcomed the Government's decision to accelerate its phased approach to reopening the economy and the extension of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.
 
Dublin Chamber, which represents more than 1,300 businesses throughout the Dublin region, said both moves were common sense decisions that will help companies to recover and protect jobs.
 
The Chamber was reacting to the decision by Government to move to Phase 2 of its reopening plan and to compress the plan from five phases to four, plus the announcement that the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme will remain in place until August.
 
According to Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke: "The road to recovery remains long for the Irish business sector, but speeding up the reopening plan is the right thing to do. Ultimately, the longer the lockdown remains in place, the bigger the hit will be to the economy, the more firms will struggle to recover and the more jobs will be lost. The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme has been vital to retaining jobs over the past few months. We are pleased to see that the scheme has been extended - a move which will help support the recovery in the economy and employment market."
 
"It will not be possible for many firms to simply re-open and return to business as usual. Firms in many sectors will continue to need help in order to bounce back from the unprecedented impact of Covid-19. Turning off existing supports too early and a failure to support firms going forward will run the risk of permanent jobs losses and stunted growth potential over the coming months. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Government to ensure that firms get the help they need at this very difficult time," said Ms Burke.