Sinn Féin Senator Elisha McCallion has said the Irish government need to stop stalling and extend the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to cross border workers.

Senator McCallion was speaking ahead of today’s sitting of the Seanad where she will table an amendment calling for cross border workers to be supported.

Elisha McCallion said:

“It’s unacceptable that cross border workers who have been paying taxes into the state for years are still being denied support by the Government.  

“The Irish government told us in April that European regulations prohibited the payments, that suggestion was rubbished when information obtained by Chris McManus MEP made it clear that the government can in fact extend the payment.  

“It seems to be a case of the Government making up the rules as they go along. 

“Now as they attempt to legislate for the payments, rather than trying to right that wrong, they are going to once again discriminate against and leave behind cross border workers and their families. 

“It’s within the gift of the current government to make the payment available to the thousands of workers, who already face the threat of Brexit. They should stop stalling and extend the payment.”