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

Many people who pay PRSI contributions feel that while they contribute to the overall support of the State and people in need, they themselves may get very little in return. It was always pay related social insurance. The idea of this model is that we reflect the actual reality of the shock that happens when somebody loses their job and his or her income drops very significantly. The Minister is right that the pandemic rate of €350 highlighted, in many ways, the inadequacies of how the current social welfare jobseeker's allowance rate protects people. While acknowledging that we need to pay more to protect people in the short term, there is a bigger discussion to be had on whether we perhaps need to pay more in the longer term as well. I appreciate that is a bigger discussion.

I have some concerns with regard to the overall length of time. The payment would end after six months. That would mean means-tested payments would then kick in after six months rather than nine months, where it currently is.

While we are giving with one hand, we may be taking away with the other. I appreciate the current proposals are not the final details of the scheme.

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