Government measures in key jurisdictions 4th edition - Flipbook - Page 60
Ireland
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Support for buy-to-let customers with affected tenants – flexible repayment
arrangements will be made available to buy-to-let customers with tenants affected by
Covid-19. This includes a mortgage payment moratorium of up to six months, which will allow, and
hopefully encourage, landlords to pass that break on to their tenants.
Extensive supports for SME customers – 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.
A customer focused approach – 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 here: 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 (here).
Employment
What
financial support is
the government
providing to
businesses and to
individuals on
employment
issues?
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme: The Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme has been replaced by
the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), effective 1 September 2020. The EWSS provides a flat-rate
subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer’s payroll and is
expected to continue until 31 March 2021. Detailed information in relation to the operation of the scheme
can be found on the Revenue website here.
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP): This is a payment, currently €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 PUP is also available to self-employed individuals
whose trading income has ceased due to COVID-19. On 17 September 2020, the PUP will be divided into 3
categories, depending on the amount that the employee used to get paid. On 1 February 2021 that will
change again to 2 categories. he PUP scheme has recently been extended again until April 2021, after which
employees receiving the payment will be required to apply for Jobseeker’s benefit in its place. Further
information can be found on the Revenue website here.
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, initially postponed all Adjudication Hearings, Conciliation Meetings, Face- to -Face
Mediations, and cancellation of on-site Inspections in response to COVID-19. This was tied in with 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. 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.
Government measures in key jurisdictions
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