Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and the clarification he has given. I hope Gavin Burns and any other firefighter who has been refused jobseeker's payments will be able to use this reply to show deciding officers they are wrong to exclude them if they are genuinely seeking work. Mr. Burns has been genuinely seeking work. In one case he lost out on a job placement because he was not in receipt of a social welfare payment and Garda clearance did not come through on time. There are anomalies in this regard, and I hope the departmental group will conclude its work quickly. Mr. Burns was aware the group was considering the situation and had hoped it would deal with his issues.

The Minister has accepted that exceptions can be made in the case of firefighters and other part-time workers who are vital to protect and support our communities in times of distress such as fires. Hopefully, in this case, the Department will understand the intention of the Minister to allow part-time or retained firefighters to avail of jobseeker's allowance while not in full-time employment. Obviously, one would wish for all of them to have full-time employment and for their employers or prospective employers to take into account their firefighting requirements and allow them provide that service to their country and communities.

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