Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022

Amendment of section 17C of Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005

9. Section 17C of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 is amended—

(a) in subsection (1)—

(i) by the substitution of “Subject to subsection (1A), in this section” for “In this section”, and

(ii) by the insertion of the following definition:

“‘Covid-19 entitlement’ means an entitlement to payment of an amount under—

(a) section 485 of the Act of 1997,

(b) section 28B of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 ,

(c) any of the following schemes:

(i) the scheme commonly known as the Live Performance Support Scheme Strand II;

(ii) the scheme commonly known as the Live Performance Support Scheme Phase 3;

(iii) the scheme commonly known as the Live Performance Restart Grant Scheme;

(iv) the scheme commonly known as the Live Local Performance Support Scheme;

(v) the scheme commonly known as the Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme;

(vi) the scheme commonly known as the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme;

(vii) the scheme commonly known as the Attractions and Activity Tourism Operators Business Continuity Scheme 2022;

(viii) the scheme commonly known as the Strategic Tourism Transport Business Continuity Scheme 2022;

(ix) the scheme commonly known as the Strategic Ireland Based Inbound Agents Tourism Business Continuity Scheme 2022;

(x) the scheme commonly known as the Tourism Accommodation Providers Business Continuity Scheme 2022;

(xi) the scheme commonly known as the Sustaining Enterprise Fund;

(xii) the scheme commonly known as the Accelerated Recovery Fund;

(xiii) the scheme commonly known as the Support for Licensed Outbound Travel Agents and Tour Operators;

(xiv) the scheme commonly known as the Temporary Covid-19 Supports for Commercial Bus Operators,

or

(d) a scheme designated for the purpose of this paragraph by order of the Revenue Commissioners under subsection (1B);”,

(b) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (1):

“(1A) Where an employer has a Covid-19 entitlement—

(a) which arises out of circumstances occurring in a period falling between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022, or

(b) which arises out of circumstances occurring in a period falling prior to 1 January 2022, resulting in an amount becoming payable to the employer between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022,

then, in this section—

‘Period 1’, in relation to the employer, means the period—

(a) beginning on the later of—

(i) the first day of the income tax month immediately preceding the income tax month in which the employer’s business was first adversely affected by Covid-19, and

(ii) 1 February 2020,

and

(b) ending on 30 April 2022;

‘Period 2’, in relation to the employer, means the period beginning on 1 May 2022 and ending on 30 April 2023;

‘Period 3’, in relation to the employer, means the period beginning on 1 May 2023 and ending on the day on which the employer has discharged the Covid-19 liabilities in full.

(1B) The Revenue Commissioners may designate by order a scheme for the purpose of paragraph (d) of the definition of ‘Covid-19 entitlement’ in subsection (1), where they are satisfied that the scheme is similar in nature and objective to a scheme referred to in paragraph (c) of that definition.”,

and

(c) by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (5):

“(5) An inspector of taxes, or such other officer as the Revenue Commissioners have nominated for the purposes of section 990 of the Act of 1997, may make such enquiries as he or she considers necessary to satisfy himself or herself as to whether an employer—

(a) is unable to pay all or part of the employer’s Covid-19 liabilities, or

(b) has a Covid-19 entitlement—

(i) which arises out of circumstances occurring in a period falling between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022, or

(ii) which arises out of circumstances occurring in a period falling prior to 1 January 2022, resulting in an amount becoming payable to the employer between 1 January 2022 and 30 April 2022,

as the case may be.”.