Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Deputy Wall for raising this matter on the adjournment of the House.

In assessing a person's means for unemployment assistance purposes, account is taken of all income that a person or his or her spouse receives. Income from all sources, unless specifically excluded by legislation, is taken into account in carrying out the means assessment. Money received by way of a sports grant towards a particular sport is normally assessable on a euro for euro basis. There is no provision in legislation to disregard such income.

A self-employed person may qualify for a reduced rate of unemployment assistance if his or her net income is below the relevant threshold. Where income from self-employment is assessed as means for unemployment assistance, the weekly payment is reduced on a euro for euro basis by the weekly means assessed. The weekly amount assessable is based on the person's net income in the previous 12 months.

Where the person is self-employed the method of assessment allows for an investigating officer to estimate the person's income in the coming year. In the absence of information on this, the previous year's income is taken as a guide. If the investigating officer has good reason to believe that the prospects for self-employment will increase or decrease in the coming year, the estimate of the person's means will accordingly be adjusted. All reasonable work-related expenses and outgoings are then deducted from the gross income from self-employment. The remaining amount is then divided by 52 to give a weekly means assessment. It is considered that this method of assessment is fair and equitable.

Qualification for the grants scheme operated by the Irish Sports Council is made available to athletes on a case-by-case basis based on sport-specific criteria. Direct financial support is made available under the scheme for two purposes. These are out of pocket expenses and general living expenses. In the case of out of pocket expenses, a player-athlete must account for all items of such expenditure before the year end by completing an official expenditure report accompanied by receipts, invoices and supporting documentation. Such expenses incurred would not be assessed as means for the purposes of unemployment assistance, subject to the appropriate documentation being made available to the Department. In the case of world class and international class categories only, players and athletes may opt to have up to 50% of the grant available under the grants scheme applied to general living expenses. This portion of the grant is assessable in full for unemployment assistance purposes.

A self-employed person who has his or her means assessed is free to request a reassessment of means if dissatisfied that these means do not correctly reflect his or her situation. He or she is free to outline any considerations which might have an effect on the means assessed. If the applicant is still unhappy after the review, he or she may appeal to the social welfare appeals office for an independent review of his or her means.

The conditions for receipt of unemployment assistance also require that a person must be unemployed, available for full-time employment, genuinely seeking work and satisfy the condition as regards means. Each case is treated on an individual basis.

The introduction of special arrangements exempting athletes from the requirements to fulfil any of the statutory conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit or assistance would raise equity issues vis-À-vis other claimants to unemployment payments.

See this speech in context