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

The PUP, in some respects, reflected what people were earning. It represented an unprecedented support of students because it would have been the first time they received welfare payments from the Department of Social Protection. The PUP was an exceptional payment in the context of the pandemic. It still represents a very unprecedented support of students by the Government over a prolonged period. If the Deputy has cases where the PUP may have put people over the threshold, he might forward them to us so we can get an idea of the extent of the issue.

Generally speaking, the PUP rate was reflective, although not totally, of what a person was earning. A person might even have been earning a bit more, which would have caused him or her to be above the threshold, if what the Deputy is saying is the case. We can follow through on individual cases and assess the extent of the problem.

See this speech in context