29 July 2020 Written Answers. The following are questions tabled by Members for written response and the ministerial replies as received on the day from the Departments [unrevised]. Questions Nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, answered orally. Question No. 10 resubmitted. 29/07/2020WRA00325EU Summits 29/07/2020WRA0035011. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Taoiseach the special measures he sought to reduce the burden on Ireland during the EU summit of leaders. [18478/20] 29/07/2020WRA00375The Taoiseach: I provided a detailed report to the House last week on the special meet- ing of the European Council on 17 to 21 July, where we reached political agreement on a €1.8 trillion budgetary package to drive Europe’s economic recovery and the climate and digital transformations. These were especially challenging negotiations, lasting over four days. With a significant number of other leaders, I supported an ambitious and balanced approach, capable of meeting the scale of the challenges we are facing and equipping the EU well for the future. That is what was agreed. In my interventions, in addition to seeking to ensure an ambitious package – one that en- ables us to deliver our priorities as a Union – I made it clear that I would only support an out- come in which Ireland’s interests were secured, including in relation to the CAP and Brexit. That is reflected in the outcome on both MFF and the Next Generation EU recovery fund, which are well aligned with Government priorities as set out in the Programme for Govern- ment. Despite the significant downward pressure on the budget, and the poor starting point as set out in the Commission’s original proposal for the MFF, the outcome succeeds in protecting the CAP, including through the provision of a special allocation of €300m for Ireland to reflect the challenges facing the sector here. In further support for peace and reconciliation, the EU will provide a special allocation of €120 million to the PEACE PLUS programme. Together with funding from the Irish and Brit- ish Governments this will make a substantial fund available to support valuable projects. The EU has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ireland during the Brexit process. The pack- age we agreed includes a €5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve, which will help support those Member States and sectors most affected. The Government will now work hard to maximise the benefits available to Ireland. In addition, funding for competitive funds, such as the Horizon Europe research and inno- 1 Questions - Written Answers vation programme, has been substantially increased. As I made clear in my interventions at the meeting, the EU is facing the most exceptional challenges as a result of Covid19 and its social and economic impacts. Economic recovery for one Member State, including Ireland, will not be possible, without economic recovery for all. It is therefore essential that the EU works together in solidarity towards that goal. The outcome of the European Council, is one capable of supporting an EU-wide economic recovery and progress in the climate and digital transformations. That is of vital importance to Irish economic interests. Questions Nos. 12 to 16, inclusive, resubmitted. Questions Nos. 17 to 23, inclusive, answered orally. 29/07/2020WRA00550Employment Rights 29/07/2020WRA0060024. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on employees of a company (details supplied) seeking an enhanced redundancy pack- age; if legislation and additional measures will be introduced giving effect to the Duffy Cahill report that will better protect the interests of workers in liquidation scenarios; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15769/20] 29/07/2020WRA00700Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection(Deputy Heather Humphreys): Firstly, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all Debenhams workers who are dealing with job losses at this difficult time. I want to assure everybody that my Department is assisting and will continue to assist the affected workers through its Intreo service in whatever way we can in terms of income supports and job-seeking over the coming weeks and months. Indeed over the past number of weeks officials from my Department have engaged with both officials from Mandate and with the Human Resource management team in Debenhams to ensure that all workers have received their due entitlements from my Department. Furthermore, the re- dundancy and insolvency section of my Department has already engaged with the liquidators appointed to Debenhams and is continuing to work with them to ensure that all claims in respect of employees are dealt with expeditiously. While I as Minister don’t have the power to ensure that Debenhams pays an enhanced re- dundancy package to its employees, an employer is obliged to pay the statutory redundancy entitlement as provided for in the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 and that is all that can be legally enforced against an employer. As the company has been declared insolvent, the Department can provide a safety net for employees and the liquidator can submit claims for statutory redundancy and other wage relat- ed entitlements for payment from the Social Insurance Fund. We will ensure that the statutory redundancy entitlement which is laid out in legislation will be paid. The Duffy-Cahill Report, which was commissioned by the Government in the aftermath of the Clery’s closure, highlighted how the issues raised by that event and the subsequent legal cases are highly complex. There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the Companies Acts with a view to addressing the practice of trading entities splitting their operations between trad- ing and property, with the result that the trading business goes into insolvency and the assets are taken out of the original business. 2 29 July 2020 Company law matters are the responsibility of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. Questions Nos. 25 to 31, inclusive, answered orally. 29/07/2020WRA00850Community Employment Schemes 29/07/2020WRA0090032. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protec- tion the engagement she has had on pension rights for community employment supervisors. [18480/20] 29/07/2020WRA01000Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection(Deputy Heather Humphreys): As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervi- sors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provi- sion of a pension scheme. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of their CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants; the Department’s role has always and continues to be that of CE funder. The issue was examined by a Community Sector High Level Forum, chaired by the Depart- ment of Public Expenditure and Reform from April to December, 2017 and included represen- tatives of various Departments with responsibility for funding the community and voluntary sector, statutory agencies and also unions representing the CE supervisors. A detailed scoping exercise was carried out for the High Level Forum with input from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES), on the potential costs of provid- ing Exchequer support for the establishment of such a pension scheme for employees across the Community and Voluntary sector in Ireland. This exercise estimated a potential cost to the State of between €188 million and €347 million per annum depending on the numbers involved. Officials from my Department held a series of meetings with CE supervisor representa- tives to consider proposals for pension provisions, mindful of the operating environment in which any potential solution will need to exist. Discussions were also undertaken between De- partment officials and their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). My officials will continue to work with all parties to the discussions to try to establish a vi- able solution to the issue. 29/07/2020WRA01050Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment 29/07/2020WRA0110033. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the practice of reviewing pandemic unemployment payments for the self-employed exclu- sively against their 2018 tax returns will be reviewed to allow for more up to date evidence of earnings for 2019 and 2020 to be taken into account. [19011/20] 29/07/2020WRA0120062. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protec- tion her plans to base the rate of payment of the pandemic unemployment payment on 2019 3 Questions - Written Answers earnings rather than 2018 earnings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19039/20] 29/07/2020WRA0130071. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protec- tion if her Department is taking into consideration total taxable incomes for 2018 when review- ing the pandemic unemployment rate for persons or only PAYE income. [18926/20] 29/07/2020WRA01400219. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protec- tion if supports will be instituted for self-employed persons whose incomes have been vastly depleted due to Covid-19 but are not eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment in view of the fact they are continuing to earn a reduced income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19275/20] 29/07/2020WRA01500224. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the year 2018 being selected as the basis for calculation for the pan- demic payment rate despite PAYE employees rates calculated over two timeframes and the higher value being taken into consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter.