Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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53. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of expenditure in 2021 related to Covid-19; the way this compared to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2546/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring appropriate funding of supports for our people, the economy and public services has been a key priority for Government over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Over €16½ billion in funding was made available for measures to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic during 2020, which provided for essential economic and societal supports. This provided additional funding to support our health service in responding to the impact of the pandemic; to support the operation of public transport; and support the reopening of the Education sector. These measures included income and employment support schemes such as the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), along with a range of other business supports such as liquidity supports, restart grants and the commercial rates waivers.

Throughout 2021, €13½ billion was provided for Covid related measures, through the Budget 2021 allocations, Revised Estimates and allocations by way of Further Revised Estimate and Supplementary Estimate from the reserve funding held as a Covid contingency in Budget 2021. This approach allowed for flexible responses to changing needs for supports. This allowed for the continued provision and extension of the PUP, the EWSS, and business supports such as commercial rates waivers, funding to support our health system continue to respond to the impact of Covid, and the necessary funds to support our public transport and education systems operate in a Covid environment.