Mr. Christopher Bowes:

FLAC welcomed the introduction of the Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 as it provided clarity on the exact eligibility criteria for the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment. Regrettably, the manner in which the legislation was passed did not leave any time for engagement and scrutiny. This could have provided a welcome opportunity to resolve issues such as redundancy payments. It is welcome that the payment was put on a statutory basis because as the Deputy notes, it has lasted much longer than was envisioned when it was introduced.

As the payment was in effect for a longer period of time, further operational issues around the attached criteria and their enforcement came to light. The payment is now expected to last until April 2021. In such circumstances the clarity provided by placing it on a statutory basis is welcome.