Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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69. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of the pandemic unemployment payment, since its introduction and until its projected cessation. [57982/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The estimated cost of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) from its introduction in March 2020 until its cessation in February 2022 will be almost €9.1 billion. This is made up as follows:

- Actual expenditure of €4,983.7 million in 2020;

- An estimated outturn of €4,023.2 million in 2021;

- A provision of €75 million in 2022 as published in the 2022 Budget Day estimate.

In line with the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan, the PUP is gradually changing over a 6-month period to align it with standard jobseeker payments.