Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1054. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason many persons who were on the pandemic unemployment payment and being transitioned to the jobseeker’s allowance before 7 December 2021, even though their industry had not returned to pre-pandemic levels and were then unable to return due to the 7 December 2021 restrictions meant their industry would not return, are still being pushed onto jobseeker’s allowance and not being returned to the pandemic unemployment payment given that the only reason they are not working is due the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2262/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Over €9 billion has been spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) since its introduction in March 2020 demonstrating the Government's absolute commitment to support workers who have been impacted by the Government mandated Covid-19 public health restrictions.  

The re-opening of the scheme last December was specifically designed to support those workers who lost their employment further to the introduction of the restrictions which took effect from Tuesday, 7th December.

The existing arrangements, including the transition to standard jobseekers terms, continue to apply for those already in receipt of PUP prior to that date.  Self-Employed workers who are in receipt of PUP, including those prior to 7th December, can continue to earn €960 over 8 weeks and retain their PUP payment so there is flexibility to carry out limited amounts of work and retain their payment.

It is important to recognise that we are in a very different situation from the onset of the pandemic when almost the entire economy was closed and over 605,000 were in receipt of the PUP.  The vast majority of businesses are open and able to operate as normal.

The current restrictions are targeted and limited in nature and in this regard, my Government colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced a funding package of €50m to support the Live Performance Sector. In addition, the Minister for Finance also announced improved support for businesses under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).

I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.