Q&A Covid 19 and you

Social distancing and  Hand washing are two very effective ways of preventing the spread of Corona virus/ Covid 19. Social distancing  means that you maintain a safe distance from one another.  Hand washing  means frequent and complete washing of hands for a period of over 20 seconds.

On a wider scale adjusting to the new reality means fundamental changes to a persons life. In this post I’m trying to address some questions that are frequently asked and provide answers as accurately as possible from current information. None of these questions relate to medical treatment of the crisis, nor should anyone other a medical professional try to answer that!

This page will be updated as more information comes to hand. If you have a question, PM me!

Social Welfare

I’ve lost my job what can I do?

Anyone who has lost their full or part time job and is aged between 18 and 66 is entitled to an immediate payment of €350pw (COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment ). Your employer is able to top this up. This payment applies to students and all workers regardless as to whether you are an EU citizen or not however it will only be paid if you live in the jurisdiction. Apply online at welfare.ie

My job is secure however I am required to sell-isolate, Can I claim social welfare support?

Yes, only if your employer is not paying you. You should immediately apply for illness Benefit at an enhanced rate of €305 per week. Phone your GP and ask someone to drop the completed application to Intreo, Anne St, Wexford.

I want to collect a welfare payment but I’m ill and can’t go out?

A temporary agent form is available at welfare.ie Download it from welfare.ie, print it off and sign to authorise a designated person to collect your payment. Otherwise ring the local office and it will be posted to you.

Will I have to turn up each week to collect my payment?
No. Welfare is now being paid fortnightly.

SME
I'm self-employed and my business has had to close because of Covid-19, What can be done for me?
The temporary payment mentioned above has now been extended to include the self employed. Contact welfare.ie to apply

My companies income has dropped, we can't afford to pay workers yet we need to function. What help is there?

If company has had drop of 25% in income the Government will pay 70% of net wages up to max of €410 per week if company willing to pay the remainder of that staff members weekly wage

My business is down and I can't get a loan from my bank to keep me going?
If your business is impacted or may be impacted by COVID-19 resulting in a reduction of 15% or more in actual or projected turnover or profit, AND you are having difficulty in accessing  finance from commercial lending providers, the MFI COVID-19 Business Loan may be able to help your business. Contact Wexford County Council and ask to speak to the Local Enterprise Officer.

My business needs additional funding. Can central government help?
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland has a fund of €450M to loan so as to provide liquidity to SME's, The minimum loan is €25,000 and has a maximum interest rate of 4% over a maximum term of 3 years

A second scheme called the future growth loan scheme is designed to loan tranches of funds and is paid back over 8 years at a rate of 4.5%. Earliest repayments cover the interest owed on the loans, More details can be found at https://dbei.gov.ie/

Housing

I’ve lost my job and can’t pay rent. Can I be evicted from my home?

If you are a tenant of Wexford County Council contact the council immediately. The rent will be readjusted in line with the financial reality. If you are in a private tenancy contact your landlord. Emergency legislation passed by the Oireachtas prevents any eviction during this crisis.

I’ve lost my job and can’t pay my mortgage. Will that affect my relationship with my bank?

Ring your bank and explain what has happened. Financial institutions have agreed a 3 month break in these circumstances will be provided for mortgage holders. However, such leniency does not apply to car and other personal loans. If you don’t interact with the bank you run the risk of damaging your credit rating if you do not meet with payments

Education

What will happen to state exams?

Oral exams have been shelved at Leaving Cert and this years exams will revolve around the written element due later in the year.   Practical Leaving Cert exams have been deferred until later in the year also. This decision does not affect work already due at Junior Cycle such as Classroom Based Assessments.

What is the status of Leaving and Junior Cert Exams due in June?
The Leaving Cert is deferred until late July or early August. A redesigned exam time table will be published.  Final arrangements for the exams, the exam centres, social distancing and other measures will all be determined by the State Examinations Commission.  Junior Certs have been cancelled to be replaced by a proposed exam to be held at a later stage in the new school year.

When will schools re-open?

Schools will not return until a decision has been taken by Boards of Management following advice from the Department of Education & Skills. The immediate priority following the return of school will be dictated by the impact of the virus on the school community.

How will this affect a CAO application?
Colleges have already indicated that 3rd level course for present students will re-commence on time but that first year courses will commence later than usual.

Policing

How does the Covid 19 outbreak affect policing?

Garda stations remain open and additional garda personnel have been deployed to assist within communities. Additional emergency laws provide for gardaí to arrest people that frequently disobey the 2km restriction or who fail to comply with a direction to return home

Transport

Can I use a bus or train as normal?

Wexford Bus schedules have been reduced on route 340 to Dublin and services to Carlow and the Castlebridge suspended.  To comply with social distancing they are limiting capacity to keep passengers a safe distance apart. Bus Eireann and Irish Rail services run to a much reduced timetable. Wexford Railway Station only opens 10 minutes prior to departure.

Post Offices

Can I collect my pension, child benefit or other entitlements?

Yes. Post Offices are continuing to provide a service within the parameters of social distancing. If you are unable to collect the payment the Post Office will retain it for longer than normal in the current circumstances. If you are unable to collect a temporary agent form can authorise someone to collect on your behalf. Wexford Post Office remained open longer to facilitate pensioners on Friday last. Ring to see if this may be repeated.

Communications

Where is the best place to find out what is happening in Wexford?

Wexford People and South East Radio provide accurate and up to date information in traditional and online formats. Wexfordtoday.ie is another online news specialist.

Will eircom’s proposed new charges come into effect on March 31^st?

Eircom have announced that they have decided to suspend their decision to implement charges for email addresses until after the current crisis has passed so there’s no need to rush to close down or alter email addresses.

Wexford County Council

Do I still have to pay rates while my business is closed?

If your business has closed contact the council and let them know. Councils will not be sending out anymore rates bills during the current emergency. If your business is in the retail. Hospitality, leisure or childcare sector you can defer payment of bills already sent for 3 months. However some businesses are trading still and they are required to pay bills received. The council will deal with businesses experiencing difficulties on a case by case basis.

Will the council services continue during the crisis?

Partly. Parks and especially playgrounds are closed given the likelihood that social distancing rules may be compromised. Libraries in the county are also shut. Loans can be renewed online.

Housing, Environmental, Community services all continue to be delivered. District offices in the main towns are open. Car parks at local beaches and beauty spots have been closed.

Not on our own when it comes to social isolation

Urbanisation is a growing trend in Irish society. Critical mass, planners tell us, is the key to delivering better services and access. So it might  surprise you to find out that in fact isolation levels in Co Wexford are highest in urban parts of the county.

This contradicts the narrative of the death of rural Ireland where post offices, garda stations and shops have all shut in recent years. What stands out in figures released by Wexford County Council is that social isolation is highest in Enniscorthy, and all 3 urban areas of Wexford.

Social isolation is the absence of social contact and can lead to loneliness. It can be caused by ageing, distance from loved ones, poor personal health, unemployment among other factors.  When you drill down it is easy to see why Wexford might have levels of isolation above the national average.

It has an older population, family structures branch when children leave school and are drawn to work or study in large cities. Lower incomes mean that older people have less resources to socialise. There’s cultural reasons too. Strong attachment between parent and child can lead to a sense of loss when young adults go to work or study. How we interact has changed, we visit and talk less on the phone and WhatsApp or message more. Lives are more busy, we consume more in greater amounts in our lives.

Social isolation didn’t arrive overnight. It is a product of a cultural and societal value shift over many decades. There’s lots of different forms of social isolation. How it impacts on one group can be different to how it impacts on another. Older age groups will have a wider set of life experiences and may be better able to address how to tackle isolation. My concern is about younger people being isolated.

Young people nowadays are under more pressure than when their parents were in the same age group.  Players drift away from GAA or sports clubs when they are 12. That’s a lot earlier than my day. Young people are not coping well with the highly competitive nature of society. Add to that the influence of social media, the instantaneous impact of posting, the speed and acceptance of social anger in daily discourse. It impacts on boys and girls in different ways and it adds stress on top of social isolation with inevitable consequences for mental health.  Parents may find themselves in the position that instead of being the first person to see something is not as it is, but the person who has to cope and play catch up.

That’s why I’m convinced  that when it comes to dealing with mental health issues, it is too late to be looking for a cure when you have an issue.   We tend to blame government for societal negatives and believe that solutions can be instant. It’s not the done thing to give a government a free pass at election time. But if it took decades to get to this stage in terms of the causes of isolation, it will take decades to get to a better place. That’s an awful prospect for our children and future generations.

Government have a role to play, sure, but so too have parents, schools, society, business  and how each of those components behave. Until such a time as all work together isolation will continue, young people will carry a burden and some of us will ask why and who benefits at the end of the day.