Neil Michael: Subtle change to PUP rules has Big Brother alarm bells sounding

Passengers pictured in Dublin Airport yesterday. It was confirmed over the weekend that the pandemic unemployment payment was stopped for 104 people after the Department of Social Welfare found out that they had left the country for non-essential purposes. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Up until Sunday, most people assumed that the pandemic unemployment payments were for anyone who lost their job due to Covid-19.

But in a flash, all the illusion has gone.