The National Economic Recovery Plan will also be on the agenda. Additional supports for severely impacted business sectors will also be considered as part of the discussions, which are preliminary.Sources emphasised that there would be no “cliff edge” to the schemes, and the intention is that they will stay in place to allow businesses to recover, especially those which are closed or restricted, and to allow employment to recover.
However, senior sources also said the programmes could not stay in place indefinitely, especially as firms reopen fully under a hoped-for permanent easing of Covid restrictions. Discussions are expected to focus on plans for the second half of the year for supports such as the commercial rates waiver, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment , the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme .
However, any restructuring of the schemes would have to be weighed against uncertainty over the wider epidemiological situation, sources said.and Johnson &Johnson vaccines to those under 50.said advice on the use of the vaccines indicated they could be used in this way. Discussions on the plan are underway, and he said he expects to have proposals to be considered by Government this week.