Minister Humphreys defends welfare cuts for foreign travel

The Social Protection Minister insists it’s not against the law to stop social welfare payments from people who leave the country.

The government recently stopped 104 people’s pandemic unemployment payments when they flew abroad.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties is questioning the legality of the move.

But Minister Heather Humphreys is defending it – and says many of the people were permanently leaving the country:

“What we’re doing is not against the law. In 2012, a law was passed that allowed social welfare inspectors to carry out these checks at airports and ports. That law was passed through the Dáil by former Minister Joan Burton. It was the right thing to do, we can’t be paying people that are living outside the country”.