Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if in the event of longer restrictions in the matter of the pandemic, she will commit to increasing expenditure on the pandemic unemployment payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31891/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment, or PUP, was introduced as an emergency measure to support people who lost their employment due to Government mandatedpublic health restrictions.

To date expenditure on the scheme is over €8 billion and just under 900,000 people have benefitted from the scheme. This demonstrates the Government's absolute commitment to support workers and businesses who have been severely impacted by Covid-19.

As public health restrictions have been relaxed in recent months tens of thousands of people have already returned to work. The number of people in receipt of the PUP has fallen from 482,000 in February to just under 228,000 this week.

In order to allow as much time as possible for the economy to re-open and for employment to recover, the Government has decided to taper the payment and withdraw it on a phased basis over a prolonged period. Accordingly the rates of payment will remain unchanged until September when they will commence a gradual reduction over 6 months back to the standard jobseekers terms.

The final changes to the PUP are planned for February 2022 meaning that a payment that was originally intended to be in place for just twelve weeks will now run for almost two years.

I believe that this approach is fair and proportionate.

Of course as has been the case throughout the pandemic, the Government will continue to keep the position in relation to the PUP under review in line with public health advice.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the treatment of seasonal workers who had not returned to work prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020; the way her Department plans to deal with these cases into the future given the severe reduction in contributions made due to their loss of employment due to Covid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35297/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a statutory scheme for employees and the self-employed who were in employment on or after13th March 2020 and who lost employment as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Entitlement to the scheme was based on the loss of an actual employment rather than potential or prospective but unrealised employment. It would be impossible in practical terms to establish or verify a loss of potential employment.

However given that the hospitality sector did largely re-open during the summer and autumn of last year most people did have an opportunity to access seasonal work and establish a social insurance record.

Where this work ceased due to the conclusion of the usual season, the workers were eligible for Jobseeker's Benefit in the usual way. Where this work ceased early due to the pandemic, the workers were then eligible to claim PUP; many of them did so. Similarly PUP was extended to students who typically comprise a large proportion of the seasonal workforce. While on PUP, claimants qualify for fully paid contributions.

For those who do not have sufficient contributions to qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or who do not meet the criteria for PUP, the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance payment is available.

I trust that this clarifies the position.