Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The people in question have met all of the conditions outlined by the Minister in regard to the required number of contributions, including the fact their farming income was below €12.70 per day. The only reason they were refused jobseeker's benefit was because the local office identifies them as self-employed farmers. It is for that reason they were refused access to jobseeker's benefit. I have been in contact with the Minister of State on this issue and I acknowledge the work he has done on it.

Over the summer months, I dealt with 17 appeals. All of these have not been decided but all bar one of those that have been decided have been upheld as having an entitlement. Four appeals remain outstanding. I believe a decision has been taken within the local offices to identify people as self-employed farmers, although in reality they are not. They may be part-time farmers who make an income tax return on their farm income but they are not self-employed farmers and are not paying class S contributions either.

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