Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020
17. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider provision for payment of the pandemic unemployment payment to high-risk childcare workers who have been advised to remain home from work. [39727/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the first instance I would say that there is an onus on employers, including childcare providers, to make arrangements to accommodate workers who may have underlying conditions that place them at a high risk of infection. The Return to Work Safely Protocol, agreed with ICTU and IBEC, provides that if an at-risk or vulnerable worker cannot work from home and must be in the workplace, employers must make sure that they are preferentially supported to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres. However, employers should enable vulnerable workers to work from home where possible. In addition guidance within the childcare sector provides that employers should enable such workers to work on administrative or support work from home if possible. I appreciate that, by its very nature, setting-based childcare may not lend itself to remote working arrangements. People who cannot work due to an underlying condition can, subject to certification by their GP, claim standard illness benefit. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment would not be the appropriate payment as it is designed to cater for a person who has lost their employment - which is not the case in these circumstances. Standard Illness Benefit may be payable subject to normal certification and eligibility criteria, where a medical practitioner provides a certificate attesting to his/her opinion that a person should not attend work due to their medical condition. This benefit is paid at a maximum weekly personal rate of €203. Increases may also be paid for qualifying adults and children. This may be paid for an extended period, depending on the person’s continued eligibility. In general, if people have additional expenses related to their illness or they are struggling financially, they can apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is a means-tested payment. I trust this clarifies the position.
