The Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be extended for months, not weeks, the Dáil has been told. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that nobody who was working full-time before the Covid-19 pandemic will see their payment cut, saying it will stay at €350 per week However Mr Varadkar said some of those who were working part-time will see their payment reduced.
He said their weekly payment "will still be more than they were earning" on a weekly basis before the pandemic. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the cut to the PUP has come as a huge blow, saying people need security and that they are now stressed and anxious about the future.