Almost 40,000 people have left the Government's COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) scheme.
The Department of Social Protection has issued payments of €190.2m to 543,200 people - a drop of 36,200 on the number of people paid at the same point last week.
Among them are 28,400 who have told the department they are returning to work - and 20,100 of these will be receiving their last payment this week.
As well as those on the unemployment payment, there are now over 57,800 employers who have registered with the Revenue Commissioners for the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme - with at least one subsidy being paid to over 508,100 people.
These payments are in addition to the 214,700 people who were reported on the Live Register as of the end of April.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said: "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.
"However, not everybody will be getting back to work in the first phases of the reopening of our society and, as I confirmed in the Dáil last week, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will extend beyond the original June end date."
But she added that as the country moves through phases of re-opening "we do need to review the nature of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and how it fits into cross-Government plans to keep Ireland healthy and get the country working again."
She said the Government will "soon bring forward proposals for some changes" - adding: "Any future decisions will be based on our commitment that everyone who needs help will get the most appropriate assistance and also based on the ongoing progress we experience from the reopening of the economy."
All COVID-19 PUPs issued will be in recipients’ bank accounts or at their local post office on Tuesday
The main sectors in which people are returning to work this week are construction with 9,900 workers back in work, wholesale and retail, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and in the manufacturing sector.
