Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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508. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which she remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the budget for her Department to meet increased demand arising from Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40476/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 2020 Further Revised Estimates voted on by the Dáil on Wednesday, 18th November 2020 provides for an allocation of €5,094.4 million for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), €1,740 million for the Employee Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and €74 million for Covid-19 Illness Benefit.

Based on trends up to end of November 2020, the budget for the Department will be adequate to meet demands arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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509. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which backlogs in respect of various headings and payments which may have arisen due to Covid-19 are being addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40477/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.

There are no significant backlogs in the Department's scheme areas at present. All scheme areas are mainly up to date on claim processing and any backlogs are currently being worked down.

I can assure the Deputy that claim processing is kept under active review, with all possible steps taken to ensure good customer service.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.