Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 November 2020
156. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to businesses encountering difficulties contacting State agencies when seeking support information due to Covid-19 business closures; if he is satisfied sufficient staffing levels are in place to process such queries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39408/20]
View answerSince the start of the pandemic, my Department and agencies have swiftly put in place measures to keep businesses informed of supports available to them through call centres and complemented by comprehensive up-to-date information on dedicated web-pages provided on the websites.
As a direct response my Department established the COVID-19 Business Supports Call Centre in March. Through a dedicated phoneline and email address the Unit provides businesses with information on the various schemes and initiatives available to help business deal with COVID-19. In recognition of the success of this vital resource for businesses, the role of the call centre has been expanded and the renamed Enterprise Information Centre provides information and signposts to the range of supports and services available from the Department, its Offices and Agencies and indeed across Government.
The Agencies under the remit of my Department have also put a range of measures in place to deal with COVID-19 related queries from businesses.
Enterprise Ireland set up the COVID-19 Business Response Hub in March to help businesses across Ireland understand what COVID-19 supports were available across a range of Government Departments and Agencies. A dedicated phone line and email address is open to both Enterprise Ireland client companies and non-Enterprise Ireland client companies.
The Local Enterprise Office network has experienced a significant increase in activity as a result of the pandemic and the network continues to deliver its services in a professional manner. In recognition of the significant volume of additional workload, 62 additional temporary staff have been sanctioned of which 48 are filled.
At the beginning of the pandemic, additional internal resources were temporarily re-assigned within IDA Ireland, to form the COVID-19 Policy Response Unit, to assist with client queries and additional internal supports were re-assigned to their Strategic Planning Department during this period.
The Health and Safety Authority’s (HSA's) Workplace Contact Unit (WCU) is a helpdesk resource for employers, employees and members of the public, dealing with queries and complaints in relation to occupational health and safety as well as chemicals and market surveillance. Since the beginning of March 2020, the WCU has dealt with a wide variety of queries and complaints pertaining to the application of public health measures in specific workplaces due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of staff assigned to the WCU has been increased to match demand with additional posts sanctioned and the secondment of staff from my Department to work in the HSA’s WCU. The HSA has informed me that at times there may be a delay in answering individual calls due to high call volumes, However, I'm informed that in general the service is operating effectively without undue delay. Correspondence is also replied to electronically.
The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority has business continuity plans in place and continues to exercise its functions without interruption and within public health guidelines.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has developed a dedicated COVID-19 Information Hub on its website which went live in March containing all relevant information on consumer rights and current issues such as: package holidays and travel, insurance, online shopping and cancelled contracts. It also provides information to businesses particularly in relation to their obligations under consumer protection law. A large number of CCPC employees have office phones and where possible office landlines have been diverted to mobiles.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland have set up a dedicated helpline to support the publication of its COVID-19 guides.
The Workplace Relations Commission continues to provide a valuable information service through their dedicated Information and Customer Service Helpline, answering queries on redundancies, lay-offs and work permits.
The Company Registration Office Information Helpline continues to provide businesses with advice and information on matters such as registration of new companies and filing obligations, including extensions to filing deadlines.
While it is not an agency of my Department, several of the Department’s loan guarantee schemes are operated by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI). The SBCI has been active in responding to queries from businesses relating to the schemes that it operates.
