Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 July 2020
850. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of inspections that have been carried out in airports and ports here to enforce a ban on holiday travel abroad during the Covid-19 crisis; and the number of persons that have had their social welfare payments cut as a result up to 27 July 2020. [20093/20]
View answerSince June 2012, the Department's social welfare inspectors have been undertaking control checks at airports and ports. Section 250 (16) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, provides the legal basis for these checks.
While the number of checks has increased significantly in recent months, since the introduction of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), this reflects the very different control environment that my Department has been operating in, with large numbers of people leaving the country from mid-March due to lock-down measures imposed from the Covid pandemic.
As I announced in the Dáil yesterday, I have directed my Department to review all cases to date where people went on holidays and had their payment stopped. Last evening, my officials completed the review of the 2,500 PUP cases where the payment was stopped for travelling abroad. This review has identified some 85 cases that have the potential to be entitled to PUP for a holiday period. My Department will be contacting the 85 individuals in the coming days to verify these cases.
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
