Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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918. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which persons contracted to airline companies that are rostered to pilot but are only paid when flying may access the pandemic unemployment payment or other financial supports while grounded for prolonged periods of time due to public health guidelines. [31846/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory income support for qualifying employees and the self employed who have lost employment due to Covid-19. Under the National Economic Recovery Plan to support the reopening of the country, PUP has been extended beyond the end of June 2021 in recognition that some sectors, including the airline industry, will continue to be impacted.

A person in receipt of PUP who is engaging in self-employment can earn up to €960 over a rolling eight week period and continue to maintain entitlement to PUP. Where a self-employed person exceeds this threshold and works up to 24 hours per week they may be eligible for the Part Time Job Incentive scheme which has been extended to the self-employed who transition from the PUP. This enables a person to take up limited self-employment and retain a weekly personal payment of €128.60. This scheme will be available to the self- employed until the end of the year.

Where a person does not meet the qualifying conditions for receipt of PUP they may be eligible for support under the jobseekers schemes which allow a person to be engaged in insurable employment for a maximum of 3 in 7 consecutive days.

I hope that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.