Up to €750m in additional capital spending will be included in Thursday’s €6bn+ July stimulus package, it is understood. Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath has said that, as a result, the total spend on capital projects this year will rise to €8.9bn. A total of €220m for additional capital funding was allocated to the Department of Health for infrastructure and capacity expansion, including ICT investment. Waiting until September to introduce a staycation subsidy will be too little, too late for the Irish tourism sector, according to Labour’s Mark Wall. The stimulus plan — or mini-budget — is geared at pumping cash into the tourism and hospitality sectors, which are among the worst affected by the lockdown.

Source: Irish Examiner July 21, 2020 20:43 UTC