Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste’s response. It is clear that this is something that is on his agenda. He is engaging with the Minister for Social Protection on it. He is due to make a statement on the matter in a number weeks' time. That is welcome. I note that ICTU has encouraged the Government to reform employment law in order to deal with this issue. The Tánaiste can appreciate that if you were in receipt of the PUP, you were, by Government mandate, taken out of the workplace. We, in the Labour Party, appreciate that this is a very unusual situation. It is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Government has been forced to respond and not every response will be perfect. I accept the Tánaiste’s bona fides, and the fact that he is dealing and engaging with the other Department on that. Can the Tánaiste give a more detailed timescale than that? Does he envisage that primary legislation may be necessary?

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