PUP supports may be continued past the current end of March finish line into next summer.
The Minister for Finance has given great hope to workers nervous of their uncertain future heading into Christmas with the promise.
Paschal Donohoe said he and his Government colleagues will be looking at guaranteeing the basic payment for those who can’t work because of COVID for as long as it is needed.
Mr Donohoe said the Government is keeping their options open and could keep paying the pandemic payments until the whole country is vaccinated.
Mr Donohoe has also set out a two-pronged mission statement for the Government in 2021, which will be to: “beat COVID and get back our country to work.”
But ahead of things getting back to normal and the economy reopening fully, he has indicated that the PUP payments vital to so many will remain in place while vaccines are being rolled out.
The minister was asked directly on RTE’s Morning Ireland if he would continue PUP past March until the vaccination programme is complete.
Mr Donohoe said it would be considered.
He said: “We will make that decision as we move into 2021.
Mr Donohoe added: “We have made sensible and firm decisions with the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, but it is also a payment that is correct, it’s fair and it needs to be there.”
However, the minister also pointed out that PUP is not cheap, with a running cost of €100million a week to the Exchequer.
Mr Donohoe also said: “We have two jobs in our country across 2021 in particular that will be so important, beat COVID and get our country back to work.”
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