Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2020
642. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the period of exclusion to claim redundancy due to temporary lay-off and or short time during Covid-19 is due to be extended beyond 31 May 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9769/20]
View answerI can confirm that the Government has extended the suspension of redundancy provisions relating to temporary lay-off and short-time work which arose as a result of Covid-19 until 10th August 2020.
A temporary suspension of these provisions was introduced on 13th March under new emergency measures as the existing provisions were not considered adequate to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. The suspension was considered vital to ensure the future viability of businesses and to help prevent further permanent job losses.
In light of the on-going emergency situation serious risks to jobs and businesses remain and the Government decided to extend the end date of the emergency measure from 31st May 2020 to 10th August 2020. The Government has announced a roadmap for reopening society and businesses under which it is envisaged that most businesses should reopen by 10th August. For employees an extension is important to ensure that they have a continued link to their employment and a pathway to return. For employers, many still regard their businesses as being temporarily closed and plan to re-open as soon as is possible for them to do so.
If the end date was not extended further, a significant number redundancies could occur in the very near future which will burden employers with further debt and have a serious impact on the potential for a business to recover. This in turn increases the risk of insolvency and bankruptcy situations which will only exacerbate the risk of further permanent job losses.
It is important to note that the employee’s right to claim redundancy has not been removed, but deferred for the emergency period in circumstances of temporary lay-off or short-time employment caused by the Covid-19 crisis. These arrangements have no effect on temporary lay-off and short-time work arising for reasons other than as a consequence Covid-19 where the rights of the employees remain unchanged.
