Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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199. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of the pandemic unemployment payment at current levels from now until the end of 2021. [27810/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of a suite of measures announced in the July Stimulus, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will now be extended to April 2021.

By week-ending Friday, 2nd October 2020, the PUP scheme will have cost an estimated €3.6 billion. 

The cost of PUP in the period between September and December 2020, and up to April 2021, will depend on the ongoing suppression of the Covid-19 virus and on progress in reopening the economy and society.  The performance of the labour market in the weeks and months ahead, including the capacity of employers to respond to the phased return to work following the Covid-19 lockdown, and the level of any resulting residual unemployment, remains uncertain.  These factors will determine the extent of labour market recovery between now and the year-end and into 2021. These are matters that will be considered during the coming weeks and the estimated cost of PUP to the year-end and the allocation for 2021 will be determined as part of that process.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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200. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider the circumstances of a self-employed person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27813/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been extended until 31st March 2021 which will provide support to those from sectors facing extended periods of closure.  I have also secured Government approval to keep the scheme open for new applications until the end of this year.

From 17 September the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is  being paid at three rates linked to a person's pre-COVID 19 employment earnings which makes the scheme more sustainable.  From 17th September individuals whose prior earnings were €300 or over per week receive a payment of €300 per week.  A rate of €250 applies to those who previously earned between €200 and €300; and the rate of €203 remains unchanged for those who had prior earnings of less than €200.  

The Department does not assess “drawings” for the purpose of determining a self-employed person’s pandemic unemployment rate payment.  For self-employed people the rate is calculated by reference to their reckonable income in either 2018 or 2019, whichever is the greater.  Details of reckonable income are supplied to the Department by the Revenue Commissioners. 

Any person who believes that their new payment rate does not accurately reflect their prior earnings can contact the Department to request a review and should forward all supporting documents, which will be matched with records from the Revenue Commissioners.

I also wish to draw your attention to the Enterprise Support Grant which is available to small business owners who transition from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment or jobseekers payment to reopen their businesses.  Further information and details on how to apply are available on www.Gov.ie.

I trust that this clarifies the position.