Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At yesterday's meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party, the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, informed us that more than 90% of people who had initially claimed the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, have now signed off that payment. There was also a great deal of discussion around the reduction in the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, in particular for the hospitality sector. While the Government is no longer in the business of restricting particular activities, it is recommending to people that they reduce their social activities and this is inevitably impacting on those businesses. Is the Tánaiste, with his colleagues in government, considering extending the EWSS, perhaps in a more targeted way, to affect those sectors I have outlined?

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