Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

I ask the Minister to charge the people doing the review with the responsibility of looking at seasonal workers. To be frank, that is possibly the least that the Minister could do but I ask that he do that. There should be some engagement about the people who are excluded with the trade union, Fórsa, because it represents the bulk of the secretaries and caretakers. It is not just them but all seasonal workers. There is a more favourable rate of jobseeker's benefit available and a group of low-income workers is excluded from it. Does the Minister see where I am going with this? These are not people who are on big money. When people are on jobseeker's, they are broke. It does not matter if they have known for a couple of weeks that they are going to be on jobseeker's. If there is a more favourable rate available, I am sure the Minister can imagine how those excluded from that rate feel for the weeks of the year when they do not get any payment. These are the only people in the school who will not be paid over the summer. I am not saying they are treated as second-class citizens. I am saying they have possibly every right to feel like they are, then they look at the jobseeker's benefit and see the same treatment applied. I ask that the Minister look at this group in particular.

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