Mattie McGrath urges change to employer payment rules
Mattie McGrath raised confusion over the six-week payment scheme and urged that employers be allowed to pay partial amounts to support households. He also highlighted carers excluded for working under 18 hours, asked about identity verification, childcare for frontline workers, student eligibility and payment top-ups to €305.
Employer payment confusion
He told colleagues employers who want to maintain solidarity with employees are confused by rules around paying "the 203" which can be reclaimed after six weeks. McGrath said some employers would like to pay partial amounts - "maybe pay 100 or pay 50" - to keep a floor of income in households and argued the current prohibition needs amendment to preserve employer-employee relationships after the crisis.
Carers and eligibility concerns
He asked for clarification on carers who do not have 18 hours a week and said they appear to be excluded and "being victimised" by not receiving the payment. McGrath requested that this situation be examined so carers are not unfairly denied support.
Application process and identity requirements
He noted that applicants do not need a public services card to apply and that details are available on gov.ie. Deputies were told people are instructed not to attend INTRIO centres and the department is following HSE social distancing advice, so individuals are not being required to verify identity to normal safe registration levels.
Childcare workers, essential workers and students
McGrath welcomed plans to "join up the dots" for childcare workers and said a group across the department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is working on proposals to ensure childcare for essential frontline workers. He also noted students will be eligible to apply and stressed the need to define "essential workers" carefully to avoid public health consequences.
Payment top-ups and anomalies under review
He said he would follow up concerns that employers who already paid out will not be recouped and that appears unfair. Deputies were told people on other payments can be topped up to the €305 level if they qualify but can only receive one payment. The department acknowledged an anomaly raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett and said it will be examined, and the minister will engage with the childcare sector.
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I said it earlier in the second stage about employers who want to have the good relationship and solidarity with their employees and they're unable to pay the 203 which can be reclaimed after six weeks but would like to maybe pay 100 or pay 50 or whatever they can pay in an effort to keep a floor or bottom on the amount of money going into a household and they are very very confused now with this and I don't I don't know what situation but I did hear today that definitely they couldn't do that it would be prohibited so that that needs to be amended because we need that employer-employee good relationship when we get over this crisis and get back to some symptoms of normality. I also wanted to ask about the carers. Carers that don't have 18 hours a week apparently are being victimised also they won't get the payment so on clarification on that please. I can do my best and thank you very much and so firstly you don't need a you don't need a public services card in relation to applying for this scheme and the details of the scheme are on gov.ie People are, as Deputy Brady rightly says, instructed not to attend an INTRIO, a centre for obvious reasons to make the application and in light of the current unprecedented circumstances the department is obviously implementing our own HSE advice on social distancing and therefore is not requiring individuals to verify their identity to safe registration levels. In relation to the situation of Ross Deputy Boyd Barrett, we don't believe it currently applies but I see the anomaly and unfairness there so we're going to have a look at that in reverse to you in relation to that. In relation to joining up the dots for childcare workers, Deputy Nocton and Deputy Rabbit, that's absolutely our intention. We have a group working between my own department and also the Department of Children and Youth Affairs obviously to see how we can come up with a proposal to ensure childcare particularly for essential frontline workers. We need to have a conversation about what essential workers are at a time of crisis too and how we make sure any such solution doesn't have unintended public health consequences. But I think the point is valid. Yes, students will be eligible to apply in this regard. I'm going to follow up on the issue of employers who paid it out already who won't get recouped. I take your point. There seems to be an unfairness there. Deputy O'Dea, in relation to your question about people on other payments, they will be topped up to the €305 level should they qualify for that if they're in receipt of another social... Can you say €305 can only get one payment if that's right? That's my belief. Yeah, absolutely. You can be topped up to €305 but you can only get one payment. In relation to childcare, my understanding is that this is a group of workers and employers that should not be excluded. But clearly there's a need for an engagement with the sector and Minister Doherty will undertake that. There isn't a means test for this six week period and there's no reduced rate for under 25s. Thank you, Minister. Thank you.
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