Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her comments regarding the efforts of staff in social protection offices the length and breadth of the country. They have done magnificent work. We sometimes take things for granted when they run smoothly and payments are there every week, but there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes every day to make sure that happens.

The PUP continues to be available at its current rates and the scheme remains open for applications until the end of June. The Government will set out the future of the PUP in the coming weeks. I hope to be in a position to do so at the start of June. We will have a better sense by then of how things are going in terms of the vaccine roll-out, the number of new cases and the trajectory of the virus. We will also have a clearer picture in respect of the numbers returning to work. We have been very clear that there will be no cliff edge in terms of the payments.

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