Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I outlined earlier, approximately 14,000 people within this sector are availing of the Covid-19 unemployment payment but it cannot continue indefinitely. That was never intended. Maintaining that payment would be divisive and create two different forms of unemployment payment. We do not think that is fair or sustainable in the long term. Ultimately, it will have to be reformed by the new Government.

There have been comparisons made with the UK and Germany. I have not had the opportunity to answer many of the questions that have been raised by many of the Deputies here. I do not want the narrative of comparisons to get out because it is misleading. For example, the €50 billion package that has been rolled out in Germany is for all self-employed people and microenterprises. Ireland has similar packages for businesses. The Covid-19 payment is important and it is a lifeline for artists at the moment but it will be tapered at some point in the near future.

The money that is being used in the UK comes from the reallocation of moneys. It is not moneys that are going specifically to artists. Just because the UK puts out a figure for a certain amount, it sounds a lot more appetising than it is in reality.

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