Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Does the Minister agree with one of the points made in that report, which was also made by an official, that this is the wrong time to make all categories of social welfare recipients of working age actively seek work, considering there are already 50 jobseekers for every job vacancy according to the European Commission's figures?

The programme for Government committed the Minister to maintaining primary social welfare rates and we already know this is an extremely minimalist commitment, given that cuts have already been implemented in terms of secondary benefits and means test rules. The joint all-party committee report on the single working age payment, which was endorsed by all parties, also recommended that with any reform the value of the existing earnings disregards, the secondary benefits and means or capital allowance should be maintained. This recommendation did not just come from me, but was endorsed by all represented, including Labour Party backbenchers. Will the Minister take heed of this recommendation? In particular, will she offer a commitment today to maintain the value of the secondary benefits that currently exist in any change or move towards a single working age payment later this year?

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