People must be “genuinely seeking employment” to access the Pandemic Unemployment Payment under new legislation passed last night.

The Government has been heavily criticised after it emerged social welfare officers have been carrying out checks at airports to identify recipients who were travelling abroad.

The Social Protection Minister has insisted recipients were never permitted to travel abroad; however official guidance on the payment was only updated on Monday morning.

The legislation was passed by the Dáil last night, despite attempts from the opposition to have the travel rule removed.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is seen at the Ringsend Irishtown Community Centre, Dublin in February 2020. Picture by: RollingNews.ie

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the rule unfairly targets those who have been hardest hit by the virus.

“You have uniquely chosen those who have lost their jobs to be punished should they choose to travel abroad,” she said.

“I want you to accept that this is wrong and, more importantly, I want you to reverse this decision; a decision I understand which was incorporated into social welfare guidance early on Monday morning – just 24 hours after the Tánaiste had set out his position.”

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the bill had nothing to do with the virus.

“What is the agenda behind the bill?” he asked. “It has nothing to do with the fight against COVID-19.”

“It is actually about driving people off the pandemic payment. That is what is actually going on and this bill gives you the legislative armoury to do it.”

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys on her way into a cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle, 13-07-2020. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

The Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has said anyone who travels cannot be available for work because they may be required to self-isolate on their return.

She told Newstalk Breakfast yesterday that the Government had a legal right to stop payments to people travelling abroad.

“We are not in normal circumstances here,” she said. “We are in the middle of a pandemic so, in that context, in order to protect people’s lives, we have temporarily suspended the flexibility that people can continue to receive their unemployment payment when abroad.”

Meanwhile, the Free Legal Aid Centre has warned that there is 'no clear legal basis' for cutting the payment for people who travel abroad.

It said the legislation may allow for the suspension of payments in relation to Jobseeker's Benefit but not for other payments.

It called on Minister Humphreys to ensure that no-one is sanctioned for international travel and for anyone who has been penalised to “have their claim reinstated and backdated as a matter of urgency.”

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said cases where people were unaware they would lose payments before they flew should be re-examined.