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

We discussed this recently at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection and there is a range of people not captured by social welfare payments, for example, people who work two hours a day and do not have any family do not qualify for jobseeker’s allowance and would have to give up their work to get the allowance and to qualify to access to the CE schemes.

In respect of adult dependents there are cases where it would be problematic for people to have their payments separated in the home. This applies particularly to stay-at-home mums who want to re-engage with the workforce. If there is increased capacity because of the change in job availability would the Minister, instead of reducing the job activation places retain them at the current level to ensure that those who are unemployed or underemployed, or who have been out of touch with the workforce can get some training and access to training at an early stage, rather than having to go on to jobseeker’s allowance for long periods before they can qualify?

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