Dáil debates

Thursday, 28 May 2020

Estimates for Public Services 2020 - Vote 37 - Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Revised Estimate)

 

2:15 pm

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the difficulty with regard to the people that the Deputy thinks have been excluded. I will deal with them separately, if that is okay. Seasonal workers are not excluded from the social welfare code. They are all actively either on jobseeker's benefit, JB, or jobseeker's allowance, JA, with all of the wealth of support payments surrounding that. They are not being abandoned or left behind.

With regard to the over 66s who are self-employed, we were adamant that they were included in the temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS. Some people were still excluded from that because they were sole traders. As we have said week in, week out, anybody who needs the supplementary welfare code it is there for them. That includes apprentices who are under 18. People have come and made applications and we will look after them. The particular gentleman who Deputy McNamara is talking about is receiving the Covid payment but what he also is able to receive is the restart grant which will give him the repayment of his three months, but also the reclaiming of the rates that he would have paid to Clare County Council last year and all of the other wealth of business supports that are being made available from my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. However, there are some people who do not. There is a pride in some people who do not want to come to the supplementary welfare officers but we are here. One can see from the Estimates that the numbers are up. We will not refuse any reasonable request and to that end we have reduced the means test for both the rent supplement and the supplementary welfare code.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.