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Community Employment Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Questions (584)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

584. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons working in a community employment scheme and that work part time to supplement their income will be included in the new Covid-19 payment changes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18199/20]

View answer

Written answers

The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, to provide income support to those who had lost their jobs. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below.

 In order to qualify for the payment, the applicant must:

- be aged between 18 and 66 years old and

- be currently living in the Republic of Ireland and

- have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic or

- have been temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and

- have worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and

- not be in receipt of any employment income.

In order to ensure business continuity across its schemes my Department gave a commitment to continue funding all Community Employment (CE) schemes throughout the emergency period, which included the continued funding of wages for CE participants.  In this context, as CE participants are in receipt of an employment income, they do not meet the criteria for receipt of the Covid-19 PUP.

However, where a CE participant lost/loses their employment outside of CE, their second employer can apply for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) administered by the Revenue Commissioners to assist in the continuation of a wage payment, subject to certain conditions. 

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is to be extended to April 2021 at an estimated cost of €2.24 billion, with some changes to how it is currently administered.  It will close to new applications on 17 September 2020.  There will be three rates of payment instead of the previous two and the rate of payment will be based on a person’s earnings prior to COVID.  There are no changes to qualifying conditions of PUP.

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