Taoiseach says no change to planned cuts in pandemic unemployment payment

Mr Martin told the Dáil that since the reopening of society and the economy the feedback from employers in hospitality and interpersonal services was “they’re finding it very difficult to recruit”, with vacancies remaining unfilled.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the imposition of a midnight curfew on nightlife and the recommendations to work from home from Friday would result in a lot of people losing income and "in many cases will lose their job outright".

He said that “against that background it is completely unacceptable that we would be reducing the pandemic unemployment payment today”.

“We not only should not cut the PUP, but have to restore it and income payments for those who will be significantly affected by this latest turn of events with Covid-19.”

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The Taoiseach told him the decision to ask people to work from home “won’t be hugely impactful”.

He reiterated that all the feedback from employers in a number of sectors was that they were struggling to fill vacancies, and there would be no changes to the pandemic payment.

The weekly benefit for those receiving €300 has been reduced from Tuesday to €250, while the €250 rate is being cut to the rate of the jobseekers’ allowance of €203.

An estimated 78,000 people are still receiving the payment, down from a peak last year of 605,000. In total more than 900,000 people received the payment and just under €9 billion has been paid out through the payment to date.

The first cut to the original payment of €350 was made in September, when it was reduced by €50.