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Pandemic Unemployment Payment to be extended for months, but reduced for part-timers

The Taoiseach made the announcement at midday today.

LAST UPDATE | 4 Jun 2020

TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has told the Dáil that the pandemic unemployment payment will be extended “for months, not weeks”, but that those who worked part-time prior to the crisis will see the amount they receive cut.

He said that those who were working full-time prior to receiving the Covid-19 unemployment payment will continue to receive €350 a week into the future.

However, those who were working part-time will see their payment reduced. 

The Taoiseach added that such people will receive more than they had done while working part-time. 

He said that a decision will be forthcoming from Cabinet tomorrow. 

Earlier, a Minister of State in the Department of Finance has said there has been “no decision made” on cutting the pandemic unemployment payment by 40% for people who worked part-time prior to the crisis. 

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sarah McInerney, Patrick O’Donovan said it was “always envisaged” that the temporary schemes introduced by the government would be reviewed in the middle of June. 

The Limerick County TD was pressed on the issue after a report in today’s Irish Independent said the government was planning to reduce the Covid-19 unemployment payment from €350 a week to €203 a week, in line with jobseekers allowance. 

The government has already indicated that it will be extending both the unemployment scheme and the temporary wage subsidy scheme beyond the original June date.

Last week, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty told the Dáil she will bring forward proposals for some changes to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the wage subsidy scheme within the next week or so.

And, yesterday, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said that the government is hoping to make an announcement in the coming days that will outline the “future of the wage subsidy scheme across coming months into the future and the pandemic unemployment payment – we want to give guidance for both of those”.

Following today’s report on the 40% cut, O’Donovan said that the matter would be discussed at Cabinet and added it is “a bit early to be speculating how the government will react”. 

He also referred to the stark Exchequer figures which were published yesterday, which highlighted a €6 billion deficit at the end of May. 

The minister of state said today the figures were “dire in terms of the economy”

He said there would be less demand for the unemployment scheme as people returned to work but reiterated no decision had yet been made regarding cutting the payment for people who worked part-time.

On the same programme, Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said it was important that clarity was provided to those in receipt of the payment. 

He said that cutting the payment – or getting rid of it altogether – would be “not acceptable, not fair and not what is needed for the economy”. 

Doherty said that Sinn Féin would prefer the payments continued in some form to the end of the year, and that any inconsistencies in the scheme should be addressed. 

He also called for the government to provide greater supports to businesses in need of stimulus as the economy reels from the effects of Covid-19. 

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    Mute Daniel Morrissey
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    Apr 17th 2021, 12:20 AM

    Roll on the 26th change…. yawn…

    62
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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Apr 17th 2021, 12:56 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: lol. I know how you feel. How many bloomin people over 65 are in the country. They seem to go on forever hahaha

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:12 AM

    @Anna Carr: I don’t know how many. How many people voted Fianna Fáil? In or around that amount.

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    Mute Ger
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    Apr 17th 2021, 3:06 AM

    @Anna Carr: it literally tells you in the article

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Apr 17th 2021, 3:16 AM

    @Ger: ah lighten up ger her comment was tongue in cheek jayus what are you not seeing there?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 17th 2021, 5:13 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: well yeah, can’t make them deliver it faster or make it ourselves so that’s what we have to do.

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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:00 AM

    @Peter McGlynn: obsessed with FF. Unless you’re playing an online game where you can try to fit FF into every comments section?

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    Mute Barbara Stewart
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    Apr 17th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Anna Carr: Sorry for being 69 and delaying your vaccination….I could have said the same about all over 70s but I have a bit more respect!!!

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    Mute Tony Humphreys
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 AM

    You lost me at the word ‘plan’. I always thought they there was only one plan – lockdown. Why do something when you can get away with nothing.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 17th 2021, 5:14 AM

    @Tony Humphreys: well you thought wrong and then refused to think about it anymore

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    Mute Keith Richardson
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: well there is no published plan on reopening. I’m sure there’s one on a desk somewhere. If people were treated like adults and told this then there would be increased confidence.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:32 AM

    @Keith Richardson: no, if there was a widely publicised plan with an unpredictable pandemic and unreliable delivery schedules any changes would undermine the confidence you claim it would bring.

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:02 AM

    The fact we still likely won’t restart tourism and hospitality till June or July is just mind boggling, especially given the fact MM despite some who said it was lies when I pointed out that leaky Leo said the same thing, that he can’t say we won’t go into another lockdown after this one. And given the fact the hse management seem to have done nothing except allow the waiting list balloon and get themselves a pay rise, any extra surge from even a few covid cases over the winter months makes this likely since they now have a great excuse to cover up they barely cope any winter before covid hit. So this means a lot of small businesses and retail included as well may only have a small window to open and make some much needed money, meanwhile north will be full steam ahead open end of May.

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:35 AM

    So the AstraZeneca isnt safe to use on under 60s but is safe for under 60s who received 1st dose?? Think il pass on the second thanks. Back of the que I go lol

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:34 AM

    @Siobhan Rosemary: that silly. 1 in a million died of a blood clot that nobody knew to be looking for. That’s different now. 12 in a million died of covid here and doctors were definitely looking for it.

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    Mute K Flan
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    Apr 17th 2021, 11:26 AM

    2 more weeks to flatten the curve

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:35 AM

    @K Flan: the curve is flattened. Sadly the base rate is still over 300 cases per day.

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    Mute Sean Callan
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    Apr 17th 2021, 7:26 AM

    Boring boring boring all this lot has to offer

    13
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