Taoiseach urged to end ‘cloud of uncertainty’ over pandemic supports

The Sinn Féin leader has been called on the Taoiseach to end the “cloud of uncertainty” workers receiving pandemic financial supports have faced over the continuation of benefits, including the short-term payment for part-time workers.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said “income supports should continue until the autumn at least” and it was “unfair to leave them with this level of stress and anxiety”.

As the economy continues to re-open with the Government announcing plans for the next stage of easing restrictions, Ms McDonald demanded that Micheál Martin also give certainty about the continuation of payments.

The Government is on Friday expected to detail the re-opening of three sectors in particular - aviation, indoor hospitality, and sport and live cultural events.

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Ms McDonald said the Taoiseach should use that opportunity to give certainty to workers about their financial supports.

She pointed to comments by Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys that clarity on the future of supports would be given by the end of May "but it's the 26th of May and they still don't know".

Some 300,000 people are receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (Pup) and another 300,000 rely on the wage subsidy scheme.

“Many have not seen a day’s work in more than a year,” she said despite the re-opening of parts of the economy.

Ms McDonald said the Government planned in the winter to cut supports but the third wave of the Covid-19 virus ended that, in April it again spoke of cuts to come into effect in June.

She said “everyone wants to get back to work but the reality is that we will still face restrictions” and many in sectors including hospitality, the arts and entertainment are still not back to employment.

Ms McDonald said “these workers are not looking for big bonuses or massive pay hikes that others have seen during the pandemic. “They simply seek fairness.”

The Taoiseach and Cabinet members have repeatedly set there will be no cliff-edge end to financial supports but the Sinn Féin leader said “it’s not good enough to say there will be no cliff edge. They want certainty about no cuts.”

Mr Martin told her the Government’s plan includes “evolving financial supports to the most affected sectors” and an outline of prospects for June and July.

He said the Cabinet sub-Committee will meet in the coming days to discuss the National Economic Recovery Plan, the post-pandemic roadmap for the revival of the economy.

Mr Martin pointed out that the plan includes proposals for digital transformation, the green economy and “it will also be focusing in on a medium timeframe for particular sectors affected most as a result of the pandemic”, including hospitality, the arts and entertainment and associated sectors including taxi drivers.

“So that means evolving support towards the second half of the year,” Mr Martin said.

It would also mean “the targeting of those supports” to get people back to work, and to facilitate the return of those sectors “as safely, as securely as we possibly can”.

He added the Government’s plan was working with the return of construction, the re-opening of retail, the re-opening of schools and childcare.

Mr Martin added that they had managed to control the virus; the vaccination programme was working work, people were being supported financially and he stressed that they would continue “protecting people and businesses and jobs to the ultimate degree that we possibly can”.