As the spread of Covid-19 continues, the following information explains how Engineers Ireland will provide service continuity to you our members, and also provides an information-share on the Government’s business supports to date, and other detail to assist you in your business.
Engineers Ireland
Please be assured - we are open for business. While the way we work is changing, our commitment to quality delivery and shared cooperation will not. We look forward to working together with you and your colleagues to get through this period as smoothly as possible.
We are fully available to our members and are contactable by phone, video conference, email, social media; please do reach out to discuss work, or any other issues you wish to talk through. The contact phone detail for our key departments is available on our website here.
While our CPD training at 22 Clyde Road is cancelled until 14 April, we wish to remind members of our complimentary online modules and CPD courses we have available (member-content only): here. Areas covered include; Finance for Engineers, Communication and Presentation Skills, Introduction to Project Management, Negotiation and Influencing Skills.
Our Membership Team is available to any engineer wishing to become a member. Please email joining@engineersireland.ie for any new member query or a reinstatement query. For existing members who are interested in our Professional Titles such as Chartered Engineer or have any other query, please contact membership@engineerireland.ie. The telephone number for Membership is 01 6651334.
Three podcasts to support you in becoming a Chartered Engineer are available here.
In relation to events/meetings organised by our Regional branches, Engineering divisions or Societies (i.e. Sectors), our Sectors Team will email you about any rescheduled meeting or event, where that information is made available or please check with your Committee Chair to determine if your meeting is going ahead. Please continue to contact our Sector Support Team on any matter on sectorsupport@engineersireland.ie
Engineers TV, which contains presentations, technical lectures, courses and seminar recordings can be counted as part of your overall CPD for the year and is available here.
You can pay your annual subscription online on your member profile here or call our Finance hotline on 01 6651320.
Information Share – we hope you find the below external information useful re Covid-19 business support measures.
(Relevant to our ROI members). Please note you will be directed to external websites.
- Banks agree mortgage breaks and repossession deferrals
In a meeting with the Minister for Finance yesterday Wednesday 18 March, the heads of the State’s five banks agreed to defer legal proceedings and repossessions against borrowers in default and extend payment holidays to homeowners and businesses.
These concessions will last for up to three months and will be subject to ongoing reviews. Please see this statement on the Irish Banking and Payments Federation Website here.
- Government’s Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation have put a range of supports in place, including:
- A €200m Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) Working Capital scheme for eligible businesses impacted by COVID-19. Loans of up to €1.5m will be available at reduced rates, with up to the first €500,000 unsecured. Applications can be made through the SBCI website.
- A €200m Package for Enterprise Supports including a Rescue and Restructuring Scheme available through Enterprise Ireland for vulnerable but viable firms that need to restructure or transform their business.
- The maximum loan available from MicroFinance Ireland will be increased from €25,000 to €50,000 as an immediate measure to specifically deal with exceptional circumstances that micro-enterprises – (sole traders and firms with up to 9 employees) - are facing. Applications can be made through the MFI website or through your local LEO.
- The Credit Guarantee Scheme will be available to COVID-19 impacted firms through the Pillar Banks. Loans of up to €1m will be available at terms of up to 7 years.
Read about this information directly at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation’s website here:
- Government’s Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
This payment is available from the Government’s Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to employees and self-employed people who are unemployed or who have their hours of work reduced during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. This includes people who have been put on part-time or casual work.
The payment has a one-page application form and will be paid for a period of 6 weeks at a payment of €203 per week for jobseekers.
See here for more detail.
- COVID-19 Employer Refund Scheme
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has also introduced a refund scheme for employers. Under an arrangement developed with Revenue, employers who have to temporarily lay-off staff and who are not in a position to make any wage payment to them, are asked to keep their employees on the payroll and pay them an amount of €203 - the equivalent of the COVID-19 Support Payment. When they submit payroll returns to Revenue via their payroll provider, Revenue will refund the employer the €203.
Full details on the COVID-19 Employer Refund Scheme are available here.
There are other income supports available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and they are available here.
Keeping Connected
While most businesses are now all digitally enabled and working in agile and virtual ways, below are just two methods to enable Group Video Chats and Video and Audio Conferencing.
- For Group Video Chats: Skype
Skype, owned by Microsoft, is available for the majority of smartphones and computers and offers video and audio calling, as well as a messaging feature. It has an easy-to-use interface and supports up to 50 people on the same audio call (the number of video callers depends on what device you’re using, according to the company). Skype also lets you record, save and share your video calls, and has live captions and subtitles.
Info on How to Download.
- For Business Purposes: Zoom
Zoom offers video and audio conferencing, chat and webinar features across mobile devices, desktops, phones and room systems. It offers a free basic tier that allows you to host up to 100 participants and unlimited one-to-one meetings. It does place a 40-minute limit on group meetings, however. Zoom also has small and medium business versions, as well as an enterprise version, which cost between €14 to €20 a month per host. If your business does not use any videoconferencing service and you’re looking for a professional option while you’re working from home, at least in the short term, Zoom could be a suitable option.
Info on How to Download.