I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 and 861 together.
English language education (ELE) in Ireland is a broad and diverse sector with the vast majority of activity undertaken by private sector providers. I am of course aware of the contribution made by the sector and of the challenges that are being encountered given the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers.
As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers.
As part of this process, the representative bodies for English language education providers have engaged with the Working Group surrounding their proposals for supports to aid the recovery of this sector. In this forum, the providers have been advised of the measures introduced by Government, as part of the wider Covid-19 response, to support businesses at this time. These measures included the temporary wages subsidy scheme (TWSS) to facilitate employers to keep employees on the payroll during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to retain this link for when business increases after the crisis. When announced, this temporary scheme was expected to be in place for a 12 week period. However, recognising the circumstances surrounding the re-opening of the economy as well as the need to avoid the risk of forcing otherwise viable firms to close, the Government agreed that the TWSS would remain in place until the end of August. Following the conclusion of the TWSS, it has been superseded by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) which will continue to provide payroll support to businesses until 31 March 2021. The EWSS will allow employers to rely on the continuation of support over a longer period of 8 months while also ensuring such support is sustainable and affordable for the Exchequer. In addition to the subsidy that is being provided via the EWSS, this scheme also provides for a reduction in Employers PRSI.
Further to the above, the ELE provider representatives have been advised of the eligibility of businesses in this sector to apply, where appropriate, for further business supports made available by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation via Enterprise Ireland and through its network of Local Enterprise Offices. A full list of these supports and related information is available for providers here: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/.
The funding package that I announced in July is dedicated to covering the costs incurred by third level institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic and to enable further and higher education institutions to return to activity. While the ELE sector was not included in this package, there are a range of Government supports available to providers in this sector.
My Department will continue to engage with ELE provider representatives as this sector moves towards its full re-opening and continues on a path to recovery.
