Dáil debates

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

Covid-19 (Finance): Statements

 

2:15 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Those due back to work after maternity leave are being told that they cannot avail of the wage subsidy scheme because they were not on the payroll in January and February of this year. This is even though they are technically still employees as they have not received their P45. By law, women on maternity leave cannot be discriminated against in the workplace, yet this is what is now happening, in effect, through the wage subsidy scheme in the case of women due to return to work since the lockdown was introduced. This anomaly would also affect people who are on illness benefit or unpaid leave, including parental leave for caring for a sick child. In cases like this, the Revenue Commissioners have advised employers either to operate the scheme by ignoring those on maternity leave in January and February 2020 or else to pay the employee the appropriate wages without receiving the subsidy refund under the wage subsidy scheme. In such instances, employers are footing the bill for staff wages where they have been forced to close their doors under Government instruction.

I accept that the Minister is in a difficult position with regard to the anomalies within the wage subsidy scheme because he has no legal mechanism to change it without a new Government and a new Seanad. I welcome his comments earlier that he is currently engaging with the Revenue Commissioners to see how he can address this unintended anomaly. If it is the case that he does not have the legal mechanism to correct this law, would he extend the current maternity leave provision for up to three months to overcome this anomaly, and in light of the fact that childcare facilities are closed and parents do not have childcare options if they need to return to employment where that employment cannot be done from home?

We have a bizarre situation where the semi-State company, Bord na Móna, is availing of the wage subsidy scheme for some of its employees while using the pandemic unemployment payment for other employees. At the same time, some of the staff receiving these Government supports are waiting for the company to approve their voluntary redundancy applications.

This action goes against the spirit and primary intention of the emergency Covid-19 legislation. Will the Minister explain why the taxpayer is paying people who are unemployed just because the relevant company will not decide on its voluntary redundancy application?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.