James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the eligibility of on-course bookmakers for existing support packages in view of the fact they have been unable to trade since the advent of the pandemic due to the ban on attendance of racegoers at tracks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34540/20]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an item was passed in budget 2021 that allows taxi drivers to earn an amount of money while in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment. [34606/20]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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536. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports available to the self-employed who have been forced to cease trading in order to comply with restrictions in which they have no full-year tax returns as they are newly self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35387/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 488, 489 and 536 together.

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment Scheme is an income support measure that has been introduced for employees and the self-employed who have lost employment as a consequence of Covid-19 .

The recent Budget provided that recipients engaging in self-employment can earn up to €480 over a rolling four week period and continue to maintain entitlement to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The €480 limit is based on gross income, before tax and PRSI, minus expenses. This measure is already in place. A self-employed person does not need to seek approval from the Department and they do not need to report these earnings to the Department on a regular basis. They do need to keep a record of all income for the period.

Where a self-employed person exceeds this threshold and works up to 24 hours per week they may be eligible for support under the Part Time Job Incentive scheme which, as part of Budget 2021, has been extended to the self-employed who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. The weekly rate of payment for a person transferring from the Pandemic Unemployment payment is €128.60. Details of the scheme and the application process are available at Gov.ie.

A person also has the option of applying for means tested jobseeker's allowance where they are engaged in regular employment depending on their individual circumstances. The maximum weekly personal rate is €203 and increases may be paid for qualifying adults and children.

A self-employed person may also be eligible for support under my Department’s COVID-19 Enterprise Support Grant which provides support of up to €1,000 with business re-start costs where a person transitions from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment back into employment. Further information on these supports are available on www.gov.ie

Pandemic Unemployment Payment claims from self-employed people who have closed their business and apply for the support are checked against 2018 and 2019 Revenue returns. If a person has made a return for either of those two years they receive a payment based on the greater of the two. Where a person is newly self-employed, evidence of registration with the Revenue Commissioners will be accepted.

I hope this clarifies the position.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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490. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the financial supports in place or that will be put in place for a person experiencing long-term Covid-19 given the significant additional medical and other costs that will be incurred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34622/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is not contingent on the nature of the illness/disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

In March of this year, under the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1) and subsequent regulations, the Government, provided for entitlement to illness benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or are a probable source of infection with Covid-19.

The rate of payment of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of Covid-19 is higher than the normal maximum personal rate for a limited period. The measures were designed to ensure that where a registered medical practitioner or a HSE medical officer diagnoses a person with Covid-19 or identifies him or her as a probable source of infection of Covid-19, the person can comply with medical advice to isolate, while having their income protected. This is essential to limit and slow down the spread of the virus, to keep the number of people affected to a minimum, and to reduce a peak of cases which would cause extreme pressure on the health system.

The enhanced rate of Illness Benefit was brought in as a short-term public health measure and is not a long-term income support payment. It is payable for 2 weeks where a person is isolating as a probable source of infection of Covid-19 and up to 10 weeks where a person has been diagnosed with Covid-19. The purpose of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of Covid-19 is to encourage people to not go to work due to financial constraint when they should be in isolation.

In a case where a person continues to be ill beyond 10 weeks, standard Illness Benefit may be paid for an extended period, based on the person’s continued eligibility. Illness Benefit is the primary income support payment for people who are unable to attend work due to illness of any type. Additional payments may also be made in respect of a qualified adult and qualifying children

Apart from these income supports, my Department also provides a support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. The Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.