Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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175. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she has taken to have a sector-specific unemployment payment similar to the €350-per-week pandemic unemployment payment for the live events, music and unfunded arts sectors to ensure workers in the industries can survive until the sector is reopened in view of the fact that the pandemic unemployment payment has been reduced and the sectors have been entirely shut down since March 2020. [27691/20]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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176. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide for a sector-specific unemployment payment at the higher rate of the previous €350-per-week pandemic unemployment payment for the live events, music and unfunded arts sectors, which have been entirely shut down since March 2020, to ensure workers in these industries can survive until the sector is reopened and to ensure their skill is not lost in the intervening period. [27697/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together.

This week my Department issued payments valued at €61.9 million to over 217,140 people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Of these, some 6,340 (or 2.9%) are members of the arts, entertainment and recreation sector.In total we have spent over €3.5bn on PUP payments.

The Government has decided that from 17 September the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be paid at three rates linked to a person's pre-covid employment earnings. Individuals whose prior earnings were €300 or over per week will receive a payment of €300 per week. A rate of €250 will apply to those who previously earned between €200 and €300 per week; and the rate of €203 remains unchanged for those who had prior earnings of less than €200 per week.

One of the reasons it is necessary to recalibrate the PUP is so that we can extend its availability while being mindful of the cost to the State. I have also secured approval to keep the scheme open to new applicants until the end of the year. This means that anyone who loses their employment over the coming months, including those who may have returned to work but may be affected by new restrictions, will be able to avail of the support.

These new rates will apply to all recipients. I do not think it would be fair to make exceptions for those who had previously worked in the arts or entertainment sector, while applying the changes to over 97% of recipients who have worked in other sectors.

Finally, my Department has put in place a mailbox dedicated to the sector for individual artists to raise queries directly with the Department at artistspup@welfare.ie.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.