Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Overview of measures by country
Eurofound has identified 101 measures in Ireland in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the digital transformation, the green transition, and companies undergoing restructuring. Most cases fall into the category Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future with 32 cases (32%). The data collection to date started in March 2020, and data are updated at regular intervals.
This overview was prepared by Roisin Farelly (IRN Publishing) and Eurofound.
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
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06 May 2020 |
Measures to deploy a larger workforce in public healthcare and allow for the reassignment of public sector staff and teachers to other duties
Mobilisation of a larger workforce |
23 June 2022 |
The National Skills Database
Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers |
Bipartite collective agreements |
12 April 2021 Updated |
New public service agreement concluded against background of pandemic
Remuneration and rewards for workers in essential services |
Company practices |
07 February 2021 |
Manufacturing companies pay bonus to employees working onsite
Remuneration and rewards for workers in essential services |
Other initiatives or policies |
20 May 2022 |
Changes to employment arrangements will benefit 1,800 non-EEA doctors
Mobilisation of a larger workforce |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
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25 April 2020 Updated |
Credit guarantee scheme for COVID-19 for SMEs
Access to finance |
08 October 2021 Updated |
New legislation provides for rescue framework for small and micro companies
Rescue procedures in case of insolvency or adaptation of insolvency regulation |
29 January 2021 |
Funding supports for the sport sector
Access to finance |
29 January 2021 |
Range of supports introduced for the arts, culture and performance sectors
Access to finance |
11 November 2020 Updated |
Supports for self-employed individuals introduced in the budget
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
12 November 2020 |
Supports for companies impacted by local COVID-19 restrictions
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
26 April 2020 |
COVID-19 working capital loan scheme
Access to finance |
26 April 2020 |
Business continuity voucher
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
26 April 2020 |
Microfinance Ireland COVID-19 business loan
Access to finance |
26 April 2020 |
COVID-19 business financial planning grant
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
06 May 2020 Updated |
Suspension of the obligation of employers to pay redundancy payments
Rescue procedures in case of insolvency or adaptation of insolvency regulation |
Other initiatives or policies |
28 October 2022 |
Access to Finance Hub
Access to finance |
15 September 2022 |
New COVID-19 loan scheme for farming, fishing and food sectors launched
Access to finance |
23 June 2022 Updated |
ManagementWorks
Other |
23 June 2022 |
Plato Ireland
Other |
11 July 2021 |
New climate fund for business adaptation
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
16 March 2021 |
€55 million scheme to support tourism businesses
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
06 May 2020 |
Banks introduce measures to cushion effects of COVID-19
Access to finance |
12 November 2020 Updated |
New scheme for business severely impacted by COVID-19 Level 5 restrictions
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
18 February 2023 Updated |
New loan scheme to help businesses impacted by war in Ukraine
Access to finance |
18 September 2020 |
New assistance fund to support microenterprises
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
28 August 2020 |
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) issue new loan scheme
Access to finance |
28 August 2020 |
Pandemic stabilisation and recovery fund
Access to finance |
24 July 2020 |
Enterprise Ireland/IDA Sustaining Enterprise Scheme
Access to finance |
18 February 2021 Updated |
COVID-19 Business Aid Scheme (CBAS) targets businesses ineligible for other supports
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
13 November 2023 |
Emergency Business Flooding Scheme
Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
23 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
17 July 2020 |
Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS)
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
18 September 2020 Updated |
New wage subsidy scheme (EWSS) is less generous, but fiscally more sustainable
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
05 January 2023 |
Social Insurance Fund (SIF)
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
Bipartite collective agreements |
30 November 2020 |
COVID-19 recovery agreement for pilots at Aer Lingus
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
Other initiatives or policies |
23 May 2022 Updated |
Pilot basic income for the arts scheme aims to address earnings instability
Income support for people in employment (e.g., short-time work) |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
26 April 2020 Updated |
Trading online voucher scheme
Creation of platforms for businesses aimed at customer |
26 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 online retail scheme
Creation of platforms for businesses aimed at customer |
23 June 2022 |
IDA Ireland
Matching/networking |
23 June 2022 |
Enterprise Ireland
Change of production/Innovation |
23 June 2022 |
Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)
Change of production/Innovation |
23 June 2022 |
Workplace Innovation Toolkit
Change of production/Innovation |
23 June 2022 Updated |
SME Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS)
Change of production/Innovation |
Other initiatives or policies |
11 July 2021 |
Funding for the digital transformation of tourism activities and attractions
Creation of platforms for businesses aimed at customer |
23 June 2022 |
Skillnet Ireland
Matching/networking |
23 June 2022 |
Innovation voucher programme
Change of production/Innovation |
23 June 2022 |
Going for Growth
Matching/networking |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
12 April 2021 Updated |
National Remote Work Strategy aims to make remote working a permanent option after the pandemic
Teleworking arrangements, remote working |
Bipartite collective agreements |
12 October 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 safety protocols agreed in the construction sector
Occupational health and safety |
12 October 2020 |
Agreement on safety protocols for meat industry
Occupational health and safety |
30 November 2020 |
Four year emergency agreement concluded at Ryanair
Changes in work organisation |
30 November 2020 |
Dublin Airport restructuring plan
Changes of working hours or work arrangements |
Tripartite agreements |
24 July 2020 Updated |
Return to Work Safely Protocol
Occupational health and safety |
Company practices |
07 February 2021 |
Ervia: Agile work programme aided move to remote working during pandemic
Teleworking arrangements, remote working |
Non-binding recommendations or other texts |
13 July 2021 |
New code of practice on right to disconnect
Well-being of workers |
Other initiatives or policies |
01 December 2020 |
Online mental health service launched for frontline workers
Well-being of workers |
13 July 2021 Updated |
Agreement on terms of reference for report on move to Living Wage
Well-being of workers |
07 October 2021 |
New policy on 'blended working' in the civil service published
Teleworking arrangements, remote working |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
25 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment introduced
Income support for unemployed |
25 April 2020 Updated |
Increased illness benefit for COVID-19 absences
Paid sick leave |
13 July 2021 Updated |
New statutory sick leave to be introduced from 2022
Paid sick leave |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
06 May 2020 Updated |
Restrictions on evictions and rent freezes for landlords
Keeping or obtaining a safe home |
23 May 2022 Updated |
Access to labour market and social services for Ukrainian refugees
Other humanitarian measures |
Other initiatives or policies |
28 June 2022 |
Measures introduced to support Ukrainian refugees access education
Access to childcare and education |
07 November 2022 Updated |
Housing for Ukrainian refugees
Keeping or obtaining a safe home |
21 February 2023 |
Healthy Ireland Ukrainian Resilience Fund
Other humanitarian measures |
22 June 2023 |
€50 million funding for communities hosting Ukrainian refugees
Other humanitarian measures |
13 November 2023 |
Additional funding for the Assistance Scheme for households impacted by extreme weather
Other humanitarian measures |
Legislations or other statutory regulations |
|
---|---|
14 September 2022 |
Minimum wage to be increased by 80c from January 2023
Increasing income in general |
23 June 2022 |
Enterprise Ireland Mentor Network
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
25 October 2022 |
Social welfare and taxation measures to address cost of living crisis
Increasing income in general |
09 November 2020 |
New tax credit introduced to encourage spending in hospitality sector
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
25 October 2022 |
Support for businesses' energy bills
Support for energy bills |
19 May 2022 |
Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme for all Irish households
Support for energy bills |
25 October 2022 Updated |
New €600 electricity credit for domestic households
Support for energy bills |
14 October 2021 |
Budget for 2022 includes a number of measures to aid recovery
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
23 June 2022 Updated |
Skills for growth
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
Bipartite collective agreements |
23 May 2022 |
Revised public sector pay agreement concluded amid cost of living concerns
Increasing income in general |
Other initiatives or policies |
07 July 2020 Updated |
Grant for restarting small businesses introduced
Measures to support a gradual relaunch of work |
12 November 2023 |
New cost of living measures to address ongoing inflation
Increasing income in general |
13 November 2023 |
Range of green transition measures included in Budget 2024
Financing the green transition |
09 March 2024 |
Budget measures aim to encourage commuters to choose public transport
Financing the green transition |
10 March 2024 |
Over 4,000 people trained in retrofit upskilling programmes in 2022 and 2023
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
10 March 2024 |
You can get up to €50,000 to renovate a vacant property and up to €70,000 if the property is derelict. The grant is inclusive of the VAT cost of the works.
Retrofitting buildings |
13 March 2024 |
National Cycle Network aims to increase cycling and walking amongst commuters as well as leisure users and tourists
Financing the green transition |
22 February 2023 |
Measure to support increased cost of living
Support for other basic items (e.g., food, housing, public transport, medicines) |
23 June 2023 |
Seed funding for sustainable SMEs
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
23 May 2022 |
Government launches €505 million cost of living package
Support for other basic items (e.g., food, housing, public transport, medicines) |
19 May 2022 |
Gender-based funding for apprenticeships
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
14 January 2022 |
New annual grant for apprenticeship employers
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
13 January 2022 |
Additional funding announced to support live performance sector
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
14 October 2021 |
Funding package and supports for Tourism, Arts & Culture announced in Budget
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
13 July 2021 |
New Pathways to Work strategy as part of National Recovery Plan
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
13 July 2021 |
Economic Recovery Plan
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
12 April 2021 |
New Outdoor Dining Funding Scheme Launched
Measures to support a gradual relaunch of work |
11 November 2020 |
July stimulus aims to assist businesses and people get back to work
Support for spending, stimulus packages |
12 October 2020 |
Government announces extra funds for carers and people with disabilities
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
04 September 2020 Updated |
Apprenticeship incentivisation scheme
Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
21 March 2024 |
Range of grants available to businesses to encourage move to renewable energy
Financing the green transition |
21 March 2024 |
Nearly 50,000 home energy upgrades supported by Government grants in 2023
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30 January 2023
Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.
Article12 September 2022
Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Article12 September 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.
Article5 July 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.
ArticleDisclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.