Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the PUP, I welcome the earnings disregard announced in the budget of €480. It would be interesting to find out how the figure was arrived at. I am aware this is going to cause difficulties for people in the arts sector who may get additional payments, and €120 a week is not really a lot. This is also going to also be an issue for taxi drivers. According to the report, 23% of taxi drivers are aged 66 or over, so they could not access the payment and the only option available to them was to perhaps seek an increase in their State pension. Given the level of disquiet among taxi drivers and their representatives, there are issues in this regard. We need to keep a close eye on the payment, particularly given the cut that is due in January. It would be interesting to find out how the figure of €480 announced in the budget was arrived at.

There have been major difficulties for the self-employed when it comes to the PUP and this issue could be considered later.

There is also a current issue and I have been over and back with the Secretary General on this. Approximately 4,000 applications for the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, last week were refused because the Department did not have a PRSI record for the applicant. I have been inundated with representations from people in that situation. The Department did not have a PRSI record yet these people had sent in payslips.

One constituent sent in a letter from their employer. This person was at work and got the PUP the last time. I am waiting for full figures but I am aware that approximately 4,000 people were affected last week. Whether it is a breakdown of communication between the Department and the Revenue Commissioners I do not know but it has been a messy situation. One person who applied in early October has now qualified and received their payment. They have, however, only received one weeks' worth of payment of €200 whereas this person applied earlier in October. We know from a recent reply I got to a parliamentary question that the system is not even ready for arrears. It is not set up for it yet. While the Department said it will be paid by the end of the year I know from speaking to others it will be next year. To get an update on the arrears with regard to the PUP will be important as well, as people are owed quite a bit of money because of delays.

The islands and the water services are something we really need to look at. I am aware restrictions were in place that came in May in Inis Oírr which turned off the water at 5 p.m. It was off until 10 a.m. the next morning. The last boat came in at approximately 7 p.m. There was, therefore, a situation where people were consistently being told to wash their hands yet on Inis Mór, Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr there were water restrictions because of the constant drought every summer that is never dealt with. People could not actually wash their hands. We have a huge issue there and that needs to be looked at.

Finally, with regard to the islands and services, I am aware there is mention of services provided to the island communities during the pandemic. I am not sure there were any. What is of concern, however, when it comes to the services is GPs because, obviously, in a pandemic that is the most important service. On Inis Meáin, one nurse and one GP come to the island three times per week in the morning for two and a half hours. On Inis Mór, there is one GP. The island has a nursing home and there was one false positive case. I do not think there was any positive case at all but I believe with that nursing home there was real concern. GP services on the island, therefore, are something we could also look at.