Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 32:

In page 12, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following:

“23. (1) The Minister shall review the impact of the increase in the national minimum wage on the income thresholds set for social welfare payments and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.(2) The Minister shall review the eligibility criteria for qualifying for the Household Benefits Package in the context of the current housing crisis and adult children having to return to live at home and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.

(3) The Minister shall review the eligibility criteria for qualifying for Jobseekers Benefit, in particular the rule that you have to be unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7 to qualify for the payment and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.

(4) The Minister shall review the eligibility criteria for the State Contributory Pension and the averaging system used to determine eligibility and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.

(5) The Minister shall review the changes introduced to the One-Parent Family Payment in 2012 particularly in light of the report by Dr Millar and Dr Crosse on lone parents and activation and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.

(6) The Minister shall review the operation of the Family Income Supplement to see how it could be improved to encourage and facilitate people to re(enter) the workforce and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.

(7) The Minister shall review the treatment of seasonal and part-time workers in terms of their eligibility for Jobseekers Benefit; the contributions required to access the payment and the €12.70 rate per day set for subsidiary employment earnings and shall bring forward a report to the Committee on Social Protection on same within 3 months of this Bill being enacted.”.

This amendment contains a number of requests, which will not pose a charge on the Exchequer, requiring the Minister to bring forward a number of reports to the committee on various issues with which the committee will be dealing. I want to know the ongoing position of the Department on these matters. That would help us to conduct our discussions in the full knowledge of all the particular circumstances. I understand that subsection (5) of my proposed amendment dealing with the one-parent family payment has already been dealt with. Did I understand the Minister to say that he or the Department is carrying out a review or study of the jobseeker's benefit scheme regarding the different rates?