Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

He would have gotten nine months of jobseeker's benefit when he became unemployed, which would have been a higher payment, based on his contributions, than the jobseeker's allowance. I presume the nine-month period has elapsed and now he is on jobseeker's allowance. Exceptional needs payments are available if any particular issues arise but again, I do not have the background to the case. The Minister has been looking at options in terms of broader pension reforms and PRSI treatment but that would potentially involve increasing PRSI over time with a view to lengthening the period a person would be in receipt of jobseeker's benefit and also increasing the level of benefit to more closely approximate the salary the person had been earning prior to being rendered unemployed. Reforms are required but they have significant resource implications. The Minister has been examining that issue, which was also an issue in the past. Historically, if someone was unemployed, he or she might have gotten up to two thirds or 60% of his or her wage back in the day. That was changed and reformed. The balance has always been around job incentivisation but we learned from Covid that people can lose their jobs through no fault of their own-----

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