Dr. Laura Bambrick:

Childcare as a barrier for PUP claimants returning to work is not the issue it was earlier in the pandemic when schools were closed and childcare facilities were not operating at full capacity. However, many carers, who are entitled to work for 19 hours a week, are claimants in the €200 to €250 PUP category. We have not had a return of day services centres for older vulnerable people so a lot of carers who are also PUP claimants are not in a good position. This has been a really neglected sector and group of people.

On the return of the statutory redundancy rebates even for a short time, there is already a facility whereby if a company that is continuing to trade but is unable to make statutory payments, once it is able to show an inability to pay either through an accountant or legal person, the Social Insurance Fund will pay the statutory payment but the business continues to have a liability to the Social Insurance Fund.