Criticism directed at Government over handling of pandemic unemployment payments 'farcical'

Leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheal Marti,n at the launch of the Fianna Fáil Local Election Manifesto in the Iveagh Garden Hotel, Harcourt Street, Dublin. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

The criticism directed at the Government over its handling of pandemic unemployment payments has been "farcical", the Taoiseach has claimed.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Micheál Martin said last week's criticism of the welfare checks at airports, which resulted in nearly 2,000 people being removed from the payment, had been "hyped up beyond the reality". 

He added that he hopes the 85 people from whom the payment had been wrongly stripped, would see their situations rectified.

"I think [the issue] was not dealt with in terms of the proper perspective by the commentary. If I'm honest, I think, it was hyped up beyond the reality.

"Some of the charges made against the Government were farcical, in the sense that, first of all, the [pandemic unemployment payment] represents an unprecedented intervention. There are still 289,000 people on it, and the opposition were trying to present it as if we were against people on pandemic unemployment. 

"It makes no sense when you look at the numbers, and also the fact that we've extended it out to the end of March. 

"But the key point is that there have always been checks at the airports and those checks revealed 2,000 people or more, who should not have been in receipt of [the pandemic unemployment payment] because they were permanently resident outside of the State and no-one seems to be batting an eyelid about that."

The Taoiseach also questioned the perspective taken in some of the "commentary" on the issue.

"I mean, you can't lay the charge that the Government is out to get people, when it's actually expanding a scheme and lengthening the scheme, and will be reasonable with people on that scheme on an ongoing basis."

Mr Martin also indicated the temporary wage subsidy scheme may go beyond its planned end point at the end March for some workers as he told the Irish Examiner the Government will work to avoid "cliff falls" for workers and businesses in certain sectors. 

The scheme has already supported business payrolls to the tune of €3bn. However, the Taoiseach says that he "doesn't see things being back to normal by January", and that sectoral specific supports will still be needed.

"If you notice to date, we have been very clear in avoiding cliff falls or cliff edges for various schemes. No one ever saw the pandemic as an enduring issue but there comes a stage where we've got to converge with social protection. 

"But we have extended it out to the end of March. There may be a need for bespoke approaches to certain sectors of the economy that have not reopened fully because of Covid  — aviation being one, entertainment, where we've initiated some approaches already, rural pubs, obviously.

"We are in the course of formulating and developing an economic plan, side by side with a budget. And these are things we're going to have to take stock of every three months. So our next big milestone is the budget, and then moving into the end of March period where will Covid be then? 

"There may be prospects for a vaccine more apparent then than there are now. That would enable us to say to people, 'keep going, we can get there, there's light at the end of the tunnel'."

The Taoiseach added that he is confident that schools will open at the end of this month.

"We're working hard at getting back  — our schools are working very hard around the country in terms of reopening. And we want to do that safely. 

"I think the mental health issues are significant for young people if they're not at school for a prolonged period. So they need to be at school. I think children at a younger age need the socialisation of education, and need to be in touch with their peers and, in a school context, they've lost that since March. And I think it's very important to get them back."