Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is not about punishing anyone and has not been from the outset of the pandemic. The key responses in terms of the pandemic unemployment payment and the wage subsidy scheme have, as I have said before, been unprecedented and significant and have supported a significant number of people. This week approximately €17.2 million will be paid out to approximately 225,000 people in respect of the pandemic unemployment payment.

That is a decrease of about 5,500. We now have about 225,000 on the pandemic unemployment payment, which is an overall drop of 62% on the figure in May last, which was close to 600,000. From 17 September, as the Deputy correctly says, the rates are changing and coming down, although they are very closely related to what people were earning before they went on the pandemic unemployment payment itself. What we have done, critically, is to extend it right to April of next year and to put it on a more sustainable footing, unlike other jurisdictions, where it is being cut from next October, or is finished from next October onwards.

Given the fact it is plateauing around 225,000, or may come down further to 200,000, we will reflect on and review all that because we want to support people and help people get through this pandemic, and to provide safety nets for them. Therefore, the Government constantly and consistently monitors both of those schemes - the wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment scheme. Overall, about €3.3 billion has been spent on the pandemic unemployment payment to date, which reflects the Government's commitment to supporting people who have been very badly affected by the pandemic. In respect of certain sectors, and in respect of Ministers with responsibility for arts, culture, tourism and so on, we are consistently looking at ways in which we can provide alternative income streams or employment opportunities for people in those particular sectors. I mentioned earlier the July stimulus, for example, and we have to work further on that to make sure we can translate elements of that funding into real working opportunities for people, and also add value to society and the economy in terms of projects we can get done, such as badly needed projects in housing, health, education and community and town centre renewal, for example. That is where I would like to see our continued support for people manifested as well. We are keeping the situation under review.

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