Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 720 of 8 September 2020, if she can respond to additional correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27535/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare (Covid-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 put the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) on a statutory basis since 5th August.  As announced under the July Stimulus, the pandemic unemployment payment has been extended until the end of March 2021.  I have also secured agreement to keep the payment open to new applications until the end of 2020.

Under normal circumstances, students do not receive unemployment payments.  PUP was made available as an emergency response to persons, including students, who lost their employment as a result of the pandemic and who were no longer being paid by their employer.  People in receipt of PUP must continue to satisfy the conditions for the scheme to maintain continued payment. 

I trust this clarifies the position at this time.