Government measures in key jurisdictions 3rd edition final - Flipbook - Page 63
Ireland
•
– legal proceedings including repossessions will be deferred
for three months.
•
•
banks are working to ensure that a wide range of
measures are made available to businesses who are trying to manage the financial pressures arising
from Covid-19. The measures include the provision of cash flow and credit facilities as well as supply
chain supports. The deferral of loan repayments for up to six months will also be available toSMEs.
banks have committed to providing suitable tailored supports
for business including the extension of credit lines, risk guarantees and trade finance.
These supports are intended to complement the range of government supports, including the Irish Liquidity
Scheme detailed above. For more information, please see our recent articles listed below:
• The ABC and DE of Emergency Liquidity Solutions (available here),
• Covid-19: Range of Banking Measures announced due to the Pandemic (available here),
• Government Funding Supports for Businesses Impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic (available here), and
• Update: Additional Government Funding Supports for Businesses Impacted by Covid-19 (available here).
Employment
What
financial support is
the government
providing to
businesses and to
individuals on
employment
issues?
•
Detailed information in relation to the operation of the scheme,
which has been extended until 31 August 2020, can be found on the Revenue website here.
•
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment: This is a payment of €350 per week which is available to
employees who either lost their job entirely or were temporarily laid-off, on or after 13 March 2020, as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The payment is also available to self-employed individuals whose
trading income has ceased due to COVID-19. It will be available until 10 August 2020.
•
Return to Work Safely Protocol: The government has issued a set of guidelines or protocols to enable
people to return to work. These are available here. The Health and Safety Authority has also published
various templates and checklists to assist employers in complying with the Protocol. Those are available
here. Employers need to be aware that they will continue to be bound by their usual obligations as
regards the safety and health of their employees (or other visitors to their premises).
• The Workplace Relations Commission, which is the forum of first instance for most employment law
matters postponed all Adjudication Hearings, Conciliation Meetings, Face- to -Face Mediations, and
cancellation of on-site Inspections in response to COVID-19. This was initially stated to be until after
Monday 18th May 2020, which tied in with phase 1 of the Government’s “roadmap for reopening
society and business at the time In the meantime, the WRC remained open - complaints can be
submitted online or by post and a telephone mediation service has been operating. Most recently,
the WRC published its proposed matrix for service delivery to progress alternative approaches for
adjudication complaint processing during COVID-19, which can be accessed here. This indicates that
the WRC will deal with complaints by way of telephone mediation, written procedure, virtual
hearings and limited face-to-face hearing, mediation and adjudication which will be introduced in
accordance with the Government’s roadmap (we entered phase 3 of that roadmap on 29 June
2020.) The WRC is writing to parties whose complaints are best suited to being resolved by written
procedures and will be seeking their consent to the matters being dealt with in that way. Virtual
hearings will proceed using the Webex platform and are anticipated to start in the week
commencing 13 July 2020. A limited number of face-to-face hearings will recommence in WRC
premises from 20 July 2020 (priority will be given to previously adjourned hearings) and a limited
number of face-to-face mediations and adjudications are also expected to commence in late July.
Detailed guidelines as to the implementation of each of these processes are set out in the
document and further updates are expected.
Government measures in key jurisdictions
63