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

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he is aware, the PUP is an income support provided for employees and self-employed persons who lost employment as a direct consequence of the public health restrictions introduced in March 2020 to address the adverse health outcomes from the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 870,000 workers have received a PUP payment in the intervening period.

The number of people in receipt of the payment peaked in May 2020, when it reached in excess of 605,600. The scheme closed for new applications on 7 July. This week, just over 101,400 individuals remain in receipt of payment under the scheme, representing an 83% reduction compared with the peak. During 2020, the number of people in receipt of PUP dropped from June, once restrictions eased and as people returned to their work, to approximately 206,000 by the end of September. Experience from last year showed that some 400,000 people closed their PUP claims once the economy partially reopened. This is clear evidence that the vast majority of people returned to their employment, once it was available to them.

The number in receipt of the PUP rose again when restrictions were reintroduced at the end of 2020, reaching a new high in early February 2021, when 481,000 were in receipt of payment. The number in payment has decreased every week since 9 February 2021, with approximately 380,000 individuals leaving the scheme. This again demonstrates that people are returning to employment as it becomes available.

The detailed statistics requested by the Deputy, showing the figures at their peak for each county and making a comparison with the number in receipt of payment this week, are set out in a table that forms part of the reply to this question. In May 2020, for example, Dublin had 174,939 people in receipt of PUP; this week, the number is 38,513, which is a 78% reduction.

Table: PUP Numbers by County

See this speech in context