An estimated €263.4million was spent in Carlow and Kilkenny alone across the main Covid employment and wage support schemes last year.
The social welfare annual services report has been published today showing total expenditure for 2020 for the three main covid supports hit €8.9billion.
In Carlow €103.9 million was spent, more than half of that (€54.2million) was through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), €33.9 through the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and €15.8 million through the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
While in Kilkenny the total spend was €159.5million, again the majority of that was on the PUP (€92 million), €45.4million on the TWSS and €22.1million on the (EWSS).