Written answers

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Department of Finance

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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273. To ask the Minister for Finance when he will publish a list of the companies that availed of the wage subsidy scheme; the amounts given to the companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25596/20]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), which was provided for in section 28 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020, expired on 31 August 2020. The TWSS has now been replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which was legislated for under the recently enacted Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Act 2020.

Notwithstanding any obligations imposed on the Revenue Commissioners under section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 or any other enactment relating to the confidentiality of taxpayer information, section 28 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provides that the names and addresses of all employers to whom a temporary wage subsidy has been paid will be published by Revenue on its website. However, the legislation does not make provision for the subsidy amounts given to employers to be published. Furthermore, employers who originally registered for the scheme but who did not operate the TWSS and who did not receive any subsidy refunds will not be included in the publication list.

I have been advised by Revenue that there are certain employers who received a temporary wage subsidy refund, who may unintentionallyhave made J9 submissions or who sought to reverse out of the scheme for other legitimate commercial reasons. These employers must undertake a number of remedial actions, to include, the full repayment of the Subsidy refunds received and to address all the relating tax and PRSI liabilities. These actions must be completed by 15 October 2020 if the employers are to be considered as having not benefited from the scheme and therefore outside of the scope of the publication requirement. Revenue will publish the names and addresses as soon as is practicable after that date.

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