Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

For the record, I wish to reflect on the fact that the Taoiseach has not answered the very straightforward question I put to him. From the record of the Dáil, we now know the Taoiseach knew that Deputy Cowen had made an incomplete statement to the Dáil. We will therefore have to ask the Tánaiste and the leader of the Green Party, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, whether they also knew that the statement made was incomplete. I will pursue that matter with them since the Taoiseach will not answer.

I raise the issue of the failure to include workers in the North, by which I mean Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone, from the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment. This matter was raised repeatedly by many Deputies on the last Government's watch. Every time it was raised, the former Minister hid behind EU regulations. I fear that the new Minister will take the same tack. The position of the former Government was that EU rules relating to cross-Border workers determine that the member state of the resident is competent for the payment of unemployment benefits. Of course, this is not the case. In response to questions put to the Commission by my colleague, Chris MacManus MEP, it has been confirmed that EU regulations do not provide for a harmonised social security system in the EU. It was also confirmed that, under EU regulations, workers living in the North should have access to the same social and tax advantages granted by the member state in which they work as are granted to workers resident in the South.

Is the Taoiseach concerned about this matter? Did he or will he raise this matter with the European Commission? Does it not concern the Taoiseach that, contrary to EU regulations, residents of the North who work in the South have been significantly disadvantaged financially by not receiving the €350 pandemic payment to which they are entitled? Will the Government now reverse this decision and ensure that these workers receive the full unemployment payment to which they are and have been entitled? Will his shared island unit tackle the deeply embedded partitionist approach to public administration evident in the previous Government? I hope this approach will be rooted out within this Government.

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