Staff from across the civil service are being reassigned to the Department of Social Protection to help process a surge in emergency unemployment claims from people signing on due to the coronavirus outbreak. Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty said employers would be reimbursed by Government “within a number of weeks”. Emergency paymentThe emergency payment and will last for six weeks and does not provide additional allowances for dependent children or adults. During the six weeks recipients should apply for the most suitable long-term payment, for example Jobseekers Allowance or Illness Benefit. It was difficult to forecast how many would apply for the emergency payment which became available from Monday morning.

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2020 15:19 UTC