Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (COVID-19) Act 2020


The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2020 is an Act of the Oireachtas which provided for additional powers for the state in the extraordinary circumstances of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Owing to social distancing measures required to combat the virus, and at the written request of Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, the Dáil sitting to discuss the legislation on 26 March was "considerably reduced" in numbers and, after an amendment intended to guarantee against evictions, the bill passed without a vote. The bill then passed without a vote the following day through all stages in Seanad Éireann. President Michael D. Higgins signed the bill into law the same day.
Amongst other things, the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2020 introduced the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme.
This followed the passing of the Health Act 2020 the previous week.

Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme

The Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme provides for employers and employees of Ireland in the extraordinary circumstances of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The scheme allows employers to maintain responsibility for paying employees during the pandemic, with the intention of maintaining the employer-employee relationship and ensuring that employees continue to be registered with their employers, so that they will be able to get back to work quickly after the pandemic.
The scheme was announced on 24 March for a twelve-week run beginning on 26 March, and replaced an earlier COVID-19 Employer Refund Scheme.
By early April, the Central Statistics Office announced that a figure equivalent to more than one tenth of the country's population were unemployed, with nearly 5% of that figure on the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. A spokesman for Goodbody Stockbrokers described it as "unprecedented". By the following week, the numbers receiving income supports had increased by 40% from the previous week's total, though the closing of thousands of applications for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment meant it was "presumed" their employers had rehired them through the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. By mid-May, a figure equivalent to nearly one tenth of the country's population were on the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme alone.
On 6 May, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe told Morning Ireland that the scheme would continue "in some form" past its original intended date of ending.
On 15 April, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced changes to the scheme such that the State would pay more money to workers.
On 19 May, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said a decision would be made "soon" regarding an extension of the scheme. On 5 June, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue announced that the scheme would be extended until the end of August.
Even a State-owned company, RTÉ, sought to participate in the scheme.
Women returning from giving birth were excluded from the scheme; they were advised to apply for social welfare instead.
On 23 July, as part of the July Jobs Stimulus package announced by the Government of Ireland, the scheme will be replaced by the Employment Wage Support Scheme from September 2020 and will run until April 2021.

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