I agree with everything Deputy Leddin said.

The pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, has been a very effective support mechanism for thousands of people who were rendered unemployed overnight. Thankfully, many of them are now exiting the PUP support because they no longer need to avail of it. However, there are thousands in the entertainment sector who will find themselves on a very rocky road back to work. It is not a sector that can be switched on or off overnight; doing so will take a considerable period. The way it is now proposed to shape the remaining months of the PUP is very problematic for those who work in that sector. Ultimately, they will transition to what has been described as a jobseeker's payment. These people already have jobs and they are very anxious to get back to those jobs, which they love. They are prevented from doing so. I ask that the Government urgently consider the criteria attaching to the PUP to ensure those who have jobs but are prevented from returning to them can continue to have access to adequate payment to support them and their families.

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate the dilemma that exists. We did take a look at phasing out PUP on a sectoral basis but it is not as straightforward as that either. While retail may be open, many people formerly employed in the sector in the airport have not yet returned to work. While a handful of sandwich shops have re-opened, there are sandwich shops all over the city centre that are still closed because office workers are not back yet. Doing it on a sectoral basis is difficult but it is not something we are ruling out. One thing we should try to do and want to try to do is to get music, entertainment and the arts going again. I know there has been a very negative reaction to the idea of using corona passes to get things going again but I hope people will not rule that out without giving it full consideration because it might actually be the pathway or the ticket to reopening live events such as live music without social distancing for people who are fully vaccinated, immune or maybe even tested. It might actually be the way we can reopen, not just in the Delta wave but also in future waves.