Irish Examiner view: Pandemic supports need to be retained

Micheál Martin has predicted that there would be a 'significant recovery' in the economy in the coming months. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The €1bn economic recovery plan unveiled by the Government sets an ambitious target of having 2.5m people in employment by 2023 — higher than pre-pandemic levels — but it will also see the winding down of the pandemic unemployment payment for those who are out of work due to Covid-19.

The PUP will be reduced by €50 from September and closed off to new applicants from July, as the country gradually reopens. The Government has spent over €7.7bn on the PUP to date and it was inevitable that it would have to end at some stage. However, the question is whether phasing out the pandemic payments will do more harm than good.