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Wage Subsidy Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Ceisteanna (235, 245, 272)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

235. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons in counties Longford and Westmeath aged between 18 and 21, 22 and 25, 25 and 30, 30 and 35 and 35 and 40 years, respectively in receipt of the employment wage subsidy scheme in tabular form. [25646/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

245. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance the number of workers on the employment wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25262/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of workers in receipt of the employment subsidy scheme; the number of workers that received a top-up payment from their employer; the breakdown of the levels and top- ups provided by employers; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that employer top-ups have risen as a response to the reduction in the employment subsidies provided by the State. [25595/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 245 and 272 together.

The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which commenced on 1 September 2020 (I July for certain newly hired employees and seasonal workers), provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers and gross pay of eligible employees on their payroll.

The EWSS replaces the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) which enabled employees, whose employers were affected by the pandemic, to receive significant supports through (employer) payroll systems. Revenue has begun to publish weekly statistics updates on the EWSS as employers continue to complete the registration process. These statistics are available at link: https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/number-of-taxpayers-and-returns/covid-19-wage-subsidy-scheme-statistics.aspx.

As shown in the publications at the above link, by 17 September 2020, over 34,300 employers had registered for EWSS. The statistics (dated 17 September) show the breakdown of the registered employers by size, sector and county.

Once the registration process is completed, employers must then file payslips with Revenue for eligible employees in respect of relevant pay periods. Until these processes are completed it is not possible to know the number of employees (nor their characteristics or locations) for which subsidies are being claimed by their employers.

As the EWSS provides payments to employers rather employees, the issue of top-ups or additional payments (to employees) does not arise. This is different to the TWSS where in excess of 80% of employees regularly received a top-up additional payment from their employers.

The payslip information for EWSS recipient employers for the period 1 September onwards will be available in October and Revenue has confirmed that it will publish this information as soon after that as is practical.

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