Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The way the Government dealt with that matter last year was, as we changed public health guidance to allow businesses to reopen, we would over time change some of the payments, for example, the PUP. That is what we did last year and the Government will have to carefully consider how we do this across this and next year. We are not in a position to continue to maintain very high levels of emergency expenditure as our economy is successfully reopened, which is what we are looking to do.

If the Deputy is looking for a commitment from me that the PUP will continue to be around in an unchanged way, I cannot give it. If he is looking for a commitment that any changes we look to make on it will be made in a careful way and that we will look to integrate it with how we manage the public health of our country, that is absolutely what we will look to do.