Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
538. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the budgetary analysis being carried out to plan for long Covid-19 impacts in her Department and each State agency under the remit of her Department in tabular form. [4494/21]
View answerAn enhanced Illness Benefit is available to employees who are unable to work because they have been diagnosed with Covid-19, or are told to self-isolate or restrict their movements. The enhanced rate of Illness Benefit was brought in as a short-term public health measure and is not a long-term income support payment. It is payable for 2 weeks where a person is isolating as a probable source of infection of Covid-19 and up to 10 weeks where a person has been diagnosed with Covid-19. The purpose of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of Covid-19 is to encourage people to not go to work due to financial constraint when they should be in isolation. In a case where a person continues to be ill beyond 10 weeks, standard Illness Benefit may be paid for an extended period, based on the person’s continued eligibility.
In 2020, the Department of Social Protection introduced a number of other emergency schemes and measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support workers while out of work and to facilitate their return to work when feasible.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in March 2020 to provide support to employees who have lost their job due to COVID-19 and to self-employed workers where their trading income has ceased due to the pandemic. To facilitate self-employed workers moving from PUP to re-start their business, they can avail of the COVID-19 Part Time Job Incentive where they work up to 24 hours per week. The Enterprise Support Grant is available to assist eligible self-employed workers by providing a once-off grant of up to €1,000 to restart their business.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which replaced the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), and which is operated on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners, provides economy-wide support to businesses with employees, which have been impacted by Covid crisis.
These schemes are being continued into 2021 and are reviewed in keeping with the trajectory of, and developments with, the virus. Any future supports, if required, will depend on what emerges from the medical advice and policy analysis arising from this.
