Galway Bay fm newsroom - 2,100 people in Galway have come off the pandemic unemployment payment in the last week.
Today, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection issued payments valued at €190.2m to 543,200 people in respect of their application for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
This is a reduction of 36,200 on the number of people paid at the same point last week
In Galway, 29,500 people will receive the payment this week - compared to 31,600 last week.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty says the peak demand for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has passed in parallel with the flattening of the Covid-19 curve and each week, if the current progress on the health front holds firm, we will see an incremental drop on the numbers in need of this assistance.
Meanwhile, women returning to work from maternity leave will be able to access the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme from the 12th June.
Last week the Department of Finance announced that women returning from adoptive or maternity leave are eligible for the scheme.
Their pay will be backdated to the 26th March in line with other employees.
