Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
257. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to instances in which employers availing of the temporary wage subsidy scheme do not pass on the increase in the minimum wage to their employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21269/20]
View answerThe Temporary Wages Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) was legislated for in section 28 of the recently enacted Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. Of necessity, the underlying legislation and the scheme itself were developed very quickly, having regard to the overarching, urgent Government objective of getting much needed financial assistance to employers and employees, where businesses have been seriously affected by the pandemic and the necessary restrictions introduced to fight the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The TWSS is predicated on the employer wanting to keep the employees on the payroll and to retain them until business picks up. The amount of the subsidy for each employee is calculated based on the average net weekly pay reported for January and February 2020. There is no distinction made regarding the subsidy amount based on whether the business has closed due to the restrictions brought in by the Government or has continued to trade with employees continuing to part-time or work full time with similar hours as before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The employer is expected to make best efforts to maintain the employee’s net income reflected in the average net weekly payment for January and February 2020, for the duration of the TWSS. There is, however, no minimum amount that the employer must pay as an additional payment in order to be eligible for the scheme, but for Revenue operational systems reasons the employer will need to enter at least €0.01 in Gross Pay when running its payroll.
I have been advised by Revenue that the question of an individual’s entitlements in an employment context, and the question of what wages an employer may or may not be in a position to pay such an employee in the light of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the employer’s business, are matters that are outside the remit of the TWSS. Essentially, the scheme has no role in relation to the employer/employee relationship in so far as the terms, conditions and entitlements of the employment are concerned.
The Deputy refers to the National Minimum Wage which increased to €10.10 per hour on 1 February 2020 as set out in the National Minimum Wage Order 2020. Disputes in relation to payment of the National Minimum Wage may be referred to Workplace Relations Commission.
Finally, I would add that details of subsidy payments made by pay date are available to view in each employee’s myAccount record on Revenue’s online system. This facility allows employees to see whether their employer is participating in the scheme and being refunded a wage subsidy on their behalf. Where the amount of subsidy paid is available from the relevant employer payroll submissions made to Revenue, that amount is also displayed.
