Paul Murphy criticises new €150 PUP rate, demands €350 restoration
Paul Murphy challenged the government's changes to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), criticising a new €150-a-week rate and urging restoration of PUP to €350 for all. He asked the Taoiseach whether workers who lost jobs days before the PUP closure can switch back to the higher PUP rates or are stuck on the lower payment.
PUP announcement and Murphy's stance
Paul Murphy described the new rock-bottom PUP rate of €150 a week as "a lump of coal in the stockings" for hospitality and entertainment workers, saying it is less than the dole and far below the poverty line. He called the €150 rate a "sneaky fine print" change and demanded that PUP be properly restored to €350 for everyone affected.
Question on eligibility and switching back
Murphy directly asked the Taoiseach whether those who lost their jobs in the final days before the PUP was closed and who have since signed on to the regular unemployment allowance will be allowed to switch to the reintroduced PUP and receive the higher rates. He pressed whether such workers are to be stuck on the lower rate because they were let go "a few days too soon."
Impact on hospitality and entertainment workers
Murphy emphasised the effect of new restrictions on hospitality and entertainment workers who have lost employment, arguing that the reduced PUP harms those sectors. He framed the €150 rate as inadequate compared with existing unemployment supports and the poverty line.
Government reply and economic claims
In reply, the Taoiseach challenged Murphy's framing, saying the deputy consistently painted a dismal picture and urging acknowledgement of recent economic recovery. The Taoiseach asserted the economy is "the fastest going, fastest recovering economy in the European Union" with "fastest jobs growth in quarter three" and noted there are more vacancies now than in 2019 pre-pandemic.
Implications and parliamentary exchange
Murphy's intervention highlighted a contest over the scope and fairness of the reintroduced PUP, the treatment of recently unemployed workers, and the wider debate in the House over recovery statistics and policy choices. The exchange ended with a challenge to recognise both the plight of affected workers and the government's economic claims.
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Ceasek did just confirm that this is no extra money and it is a matter of choosing between toilets and HEPA filters, an absolutely scandalous position that he's been trying to avoid spelling out all afternoon, I've been listening to him. In any case, I want to ask a question about the sneaky fine print on Minister Humphrey's PUP announcement, which brings in a new rock-bottom PUP rate of €150 a week, less even than the dole and far below the poverty line. It is a lump of coal in the stockings of those hospitality and entertainment workers who have lost their jobs due to the new restrictions. PUP should be properly restored to €350 for all. The question arises, Taoiseach, for those who lost their jobs in the last weeks due to the restrictions and who have had to sign on to regular unemployment allowance as the PUP was closed, will they now be allowed to switch to the PUP and to get the higher rates or, as seems to be implied by the Minister's press statement, are they stuck on the lower rates because they were let go a few days too soon? Deputy, you've consistently sought, right throughout the pandemic, to paint a very dismal picture of employment in this country and that the government is somehow negligent. I think you need to acknowledge our economy is the fastest going, fastest recovering economy in the European Union, fastest jobs growth in quarter three of any EU member state. I never hear you say that in this House, because you can't. No, I tell you what, I expect you to be, to acknowledge the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have come back to work in the last number of months because of sound economic policies. True PUP, true E-Wiz, true Chris, true other initiatives that we kept businesses intact and we kept employment intact. But all I get from you every day is one tale of misery after the other. One would imagine there were thousands of people out of work all of the time. The bottom line is this, the bottom line is this, the Minister has introduced, reintroduced PUP for those who are going to lose work as a result of the measures reduced last week. But if you look at the... Time is appeased. There are more vacancies now in our economy than there were in 2019 pre-pandemic. More vacancies now than there were pre-pandemic. Thank you. Absorb that maybe. Thank you very much, Deputy Matt Shanahan.
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