A decision on the extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be made at the end of this month, Government leaders have confirmed.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said that the current welfare supports, which also include the Wage Subsidy Scheme, will stay in place until at least the end of June.
He told RTE News: "Over the course of this month the government will give careful consideration to the supports that are currently being provided, and we've committed that there will be no change up till the end of June.
"While there won't be a cliff edge, over the medium to long-term maintaining the level of support at the current rate of expenditure is not sustainable.
"But we acknowledge the hugely valuable nature of these supports, so we need to carefully manage a range of considerations over the coming weeks as we make those decisions."
But Mr McGrath said any changes will be "careful and gradual over time", with plans to be set out at the end of May.
Responding to a newspaper report that the present rates will be maintained until at least September, the Minister said that no decisions had yet been made.
He added: "Government has not made any decision on specific rates beyond the end of June at this point.
"We have made clear that the supports will not come to an abrupt end, as we acknowledge that this would have a very serious negative impact. There are people for whom their job will not be available to them for a couple of months yet, at least."
It comes after Taoiseach Michael Martin confirmed earlier this week that the Government will unveil a new plan for pandemic support payments towards the end of May.
When asked if there was any end to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, the Fianna Fail leader said there will be "no cliff edge", but there will be changes.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, the Taoiseach said: "We are going to, and have been formulating a national economic recovery plan, so there will be no cliff edge in terms of a sudden end to the variety of reports."
Mr Martin added: "There's a range of areas we're going to have to look at.
"A new approach and a new direction towards the end of May, in that period."
