Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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654. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a self-employed person (details supplied) is not being assessed for the pandemic unemployment payment on their 2018 earnings. [21155/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Following a review, the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment for the person concerned has been rerated back to €350 with effect from 26/06/2020. All rerated arrears have been paid.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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655. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which information was obtained from recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment at airports by date on which each case was interviewed by Departmental staff and by airport; the date on which each payment was ceased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21156/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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All social welfare schemes are subject to control and compliance checks in order to ensure that the Exchequer resources provided for those schemes are protected. The pandemic unemployment payment scheme is subject to conditionality, in particular the requirement to be resident in Ireland to receive the payment under the scheme.

Under the provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, social welfare inspectors have powers to attend at ports and airports and make enquiries for the purposes of the control of social welfare schemes. They may make enquiries of persons if they have reasonable grounds to believe that there may have been a contravention of the 2005 Act, in relation to welfare payments where entitlement ceases when a person leaves the State.

Between 16^thApril and 16^thJuly 2020, inspectors made enquiries, as provided for in the 2005 Act, of almost 10,000 passengers at ports and airports. The majority of these checks were done in Dublin airport. The dates on which each person was interviewed and the dates of any consequent cessation of payment are not readily available.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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658. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if third party agencies, companies or bodies provide her Department with information on recipients of the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21159/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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All social welfare schemes are subject to control and compliance checks in order to ensure that the Exchequer resources provided for those schemes are protected. The pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) scheme is subject to conditionality, in particular that a person must be resident in the State and must have lost their employment due to the pandemic and are now fully unemployed.

To ensure that payments are only made to those with an entitlement, and in line with the provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, my Department uses information on PUP recipients received from third party bodies in a number of ways.

For example, in processing the weekly pandemic payments, a reconciliation takes place between the Department’s payment file and Revenue’s payment file for the Wage Subsidy Scheme. This results in claims from those who are being paid by their employer being withheld and not paid by the Department. A prior employment status check is also made by comparing all claims for payment against prior earnings and employment records from Revenue data. Where this check indicates that a person may not have been employed, as claimed, the person is contacted and asked to submit corroborating information. Failure to submit such information may lead to their claim being closed.

My Department has also created a reporting facility at C19EmployerReports@welfare.ie, to allow employers to report potential control issues in relation to the pandemic payment. Each of these reports is examined to ensure that claimants continue to meet the eligibility criteria for the payment.

Finally, the Deputy should note that the Department’s inspection staff also works with and shares information with Gardaí and Customs staff to combat potential fraud and abuse of the social welfare system and to act in the best interests of the Irish taxpayer.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.