Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly examine that. If more resources and staff are needed, we will provide them. I accept the Deputy's point that it can be difficult for people to work through the redundancy process. Some of us have experience of it, but it is more complicated than people may think. The Deputy's point is well made in that regard.

On the number of people on the PUP, at its peak there were 650,000 people in receipt of that payment. That is down to around 55,000 now. It should be evident to everyone that more than nine out of ten of the people who were on the PUP went back to work. To characterise all people on the PUP in any sort of negative way is totally wrong. The statistics do not lie. More than nine out of ten people on the PUP went back to work as soon as they had the opportunity to do so. For those who are still on it, around 55,000 people, we are working with them on an individual basis, helping with job searches, education and training opportunities and such. There are also control measures in place, because a small, but a not tiny, number may not currently be in the State or may be working and claiming at the same time. We need to work on that.

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