It is estimated that around 140,000 people have been laid off work in Ireland because of the measures taken to tackle the coronavirus.
This is a combination of 70,000 restaurant workers, 50,000 pub and bar staff, and around 20,000 crèche and childcare workers.
Those eligible are being urged not to go to Intreo, the public employment service offices, to abide by social distancing rules and avoid long queues.
The Minister for Social Protection has revealed it will be a "number of weeks" before employers are reimbursed for paying workers at least the jobseeker rate of €203 a week if companies have to cease trading as a result of Covid-19 measures.