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Cross-Border Co-operation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021

Thursday, 1 July 2021

Ceisteanna (312)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

312. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which cross-Border employment trends and opportunities are being restored as the levels of Covid-19 recede; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35719/21]

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Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy will be aware ,my Department and wider Government, are committed to supporting a range of initiatives to assist people back to work as outlined under the Government’s ‘Economic Recovery Plan’ (ERP) and the forthcoming Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025 strategy.

As part of the ongoing monitoring of labour market developments, my Department chairs an interdepartmental Labour Market Surveillance Group, whose membership is drawn from across Government Departments and State Agencies. This includes cross border agencies such as InterTradeIreland. This group acts an important vehicle in ensuring a co-ordinated response to the labour market impacts of both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, and is supported by the group’s regional counterparts. My Department is also represented on the Cross Border EURES Partnership Steering Committee, whose principal aim is to support labour market mobility along the border.

My Departmental officials work with their counterparts in the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland and officials in the Divisional management teams work with their colleagues in Northern Ireland on a regular basis to provide employer information sessions and to host various jobseeker events.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, employment opportunities nationwide have been curtailed as a result of public health restrictions which has limited business activity. This has impacted on all regions, including the Border counties.

In recent months, with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and consequent easing of public health restrictions, more persons have been returning to work. Since the 2021 peak in Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) recipients in February last, the number of persons supported by the payment has reduced by over 53 percent, and stands at just below 228,000 as of June 29th 2021.

Latest figures from my Department show that the counties of the Border region as classified by the CSO (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan) currently account for approximately 7.7 percent of all PUP recipients. Looking at trends in PUP figures, counties of the Border region have seen their numbers of PUP recipients fall at the same speed, or faster, than the national average since February.

In relation to cross-border activity, it is important to note that workers who live in Ireland but who were working in Northern Ireland and lost their job due to the COVID-19, are eligible to claim the PUP.

While my Department has limited cross-border employment data, the reduction in the number on PUP in the Border counties gives a useful indicator of the recovery of employment in this region as the economy re-opens.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

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