The first drop in the numbers claiming Covid-19 welfare payments has been attributed to people returning to work and instead availing of the wage subsidy scheme.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty says, as the country moves through the roadmap to exit lockdown, that certain sectors in society will hopefully now or shortly begin to reopen.
"We now have a very clear view of the peak of the challenge we currently face.
“Hopefully the direction of travel from here on will continue to be positive.
"As we move through the government’s phased re-opening of society - while observing the recently published guidance for returning to work – we can expect certain sectors of the labour market to gradually re-open and for more people to close their applications for assistance."
New figures show that 589,000 people today will receive their Covid-19 weekly welfare payment of €350, at a cost of €206m.
But this is a fall of 9,000 - the first decrease in numbers seeking the emergency welfare since the scheme began in March.
Of the numbers claiming, around 8,700 are receiving a payment for the first time.
Ms Doherty's department also gave out the latest figures on the wage subsidy scheme, which is being accessed by some 53,000 employers across the country.
It covers 456,200 people so far. This is an increase on 427,400 availing of it since April 30.
Ms O'Doherty added: “However, there won’t be a quick return to work for everybody and the nature of the virus is such that we won’t be able to switch the economy instantly back on in the same manner as we put it into sleep mode.
"My department will continue to support those who can’t go back to work while simultaneously working on effective plans for the post-pandemic environment to retrain, re-energise and re-employ all those who have been disrupted by this unprecedented health emergency.”
