Today's Cabinet agenda: Bigger budgets for health and education, greater garda powers

Heather Humphreys is to bring a technical memorandum to Cabinet today relating to the operation of the pandemic unemployment payment which was paid out to 295,860 people last week. Picture: Julien Behal 

Increased budgets for several departments, extending garda enforcement powers on pubs, and progress on the Government’s Shared Island Unit will all be on the Cabinet agenda today.

Revised estimates for several departments, including health and education, will be discussed as part of the establishment of the new Department of Higher Education, as well as dealing with Covid-19.

Heather Humphreys, the social protection minister, will bring a technical memorandum relating to the operation of the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP), which was paid out to 295,860 people last week, an increase of 51,700 receiving PUP compared to the previous week.

A total of €85.6m was paid under the scheme last week, which included payment of the restored top weekly rate of €350.

Meanwhile, enforcement powers for gardaí to make pubs, restaurants, and other licenced premises comply with Covid-19 restrictions are to be extended today until June.

Justice and equality minister Helen McEntee is seeking to extend garda powers to enforce Covid-19 restrictions on pubs and restaurants. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Helen McEntee, the justice minister, is to seek Cabinet approval to extend garda enforcement powers regarding licensed premises breaching Covid-19 regulations. She will inform ministers there have been 274 infringement incidents between July 3 and October 18.

The extension will be greeted with anger and disappointment from the already beleaguered hospitality sector, but Government sources said the move is necessary as the current legislation has a sunset clause.

The extension of the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020 gives An Garda Síochána additional enforcement powers to close bars and restaurants selling alcohol, which are not compliant with the Covid-19 health regulations.

The act provides for three types of closure orders. It gives:

• Power for a Garda superintendent or higher to issue an immediate closure order to close a premises immediately for the remainder of that day;
• Power for An Garda Síochána to apply to the district court on an ex parte basis for an emergency closure order where there has been more than one breach of the regulations. That closure can be for up to three days;
• Power for gardaí to apply for a temporary closure order, where there has been a failure to comply with a compliance notice. A first temporary closure order can be for up to seven days and a second or subsequent temporary closure order can be for up to 30 days.

The act also includes grounds for objection to the renewal of licences.

Among other business at today's Cabinet meeting, Micheál Martin will update colleagues about the Shared Island Unit in the Department of An Taoiseach.  Picture: Julien Behal

Micheál Martin will update his Cabinet colleagues as to the progress of the establishment of the Shared Island Unit in his department, as part of the Programme for Government.

Mr Martin is to outline details of how the €500n allocated to the unit is to be spent over the course of the lifetime of this Government.