Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Children and Youth Affairs, Anne Rabbitte TD, has described as discriminatory the new wage support scheme from Revenue after it emerged that those returning from maternity leave cannot sign up.
Deputy Rabbitte’s comments come as childcare providers contacted her office with queries around the operation of the Revenue’s Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and how it applies to women returning from maternity leave.
Deputy Rabbitte commented, “A number of childcare providers have had staff return from maternity leave and it now seems these women cannot be included in the scheme, which seems like a sexist stance to take. Even though the women were still employees, they returned to work outside Revenue’s applicable dates for the scheme so weren’t on the payroll in January or February, which is a requirement.
“This is an issue that applies to all sectors and it’s discrimination, pure and simple. Indeed, such draconian legislation may even be in breach of the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 – 2004.
“Revenue hasn’t been clear about how to handle these cases and it’s having serious, real-life consequences. I know of situations where women have been told they’ll have to apply for social welfare instead, which goes against the government’s ask that employers maintain a link with their employees.
“I’ve been directed to section 4.6 of Revenue’s latest FAQ, which states that if employees didn’t receive a wage in January or February, the employer can ‘operate the scheme based on Average Revenue Net Weekly Pay’, although nobody has explained what this actually means and how it applies to these women.
“We need clear and simple guidance on this, which also ensures that women are not being treated unfairly,” concluded Deputy Rabbitte.