Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The pandemic unemployment payment should be fully reinstated and backdated at the higher payment rate for all recipients. The top rate of Covid-19 unemployment payment was reduced in September from €350 to €300 and it is due to be reduced in early in 2021 to €250. The cuts are putting thousands of individuals into poverty. The rate of the payment should be restored for people who lose their jobs due to the imposition of level 3 restrictions in their county. The €350 payment should remain in place until at least the end of the pandemic to give anyone a chance of survival. The last time a Government gave such a break was to the bankers in 2008, when €64 billion was provided to bail them out. The Fianna Fáil-led Government defended the measure. Today, when ordinary people require a fraction of that expenditure, the same party defends the cuts to Ireland's most vulnerable. This clearly underscores where the Fianna Fáil and Government priorities are placed. This is shameful. People are breaking down in tears when speaking on the telephone to Deputies because they cannot make ends meet on the newly slashed pandemic unemployment payment. There are other areas affected since things shut down under level 3 last night, including cafés, restaurants and pubs. These are all in dire trouble. The Government cannot stand idly by and wait to decide whether it is a good idea to save their businesses, it has to step in now. We must look to the future. NPHET made a recommendation to go to level 5, the Government made a decision to go to level 3 but the consequences are devastating for businesses. I am hearing from people in west Cork who are very worried.

There is a question of whether people in receipt of Covid payments are allowed mortgages, which is wrong. A constituent told me recently that he is not allowed go on the Cork County Council housing list because he is on a Covid payment. These issues are scandalous. These are payments to cover people's basic everyday living and they cannot be cut.

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