Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for the social welfare entitlements of seasonal and part time workers (details supplied); the steps she has taken to deal with this matter thus far in her department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50387/17]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the review of entitlements for seasonal and part-time workers as committed to by the former Minister for Social Protection on 24 of November 2016 on Committee Stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50386/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We missed Questions Nos. 40, 44, 45 and 48.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person who had tabled the question was not present.

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The next question is supposed to be Question No. 40 in the name of Deputy Ruth Coppinger.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have passed that question.

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Why did we pass it?

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have moved on to the next question.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is forfeiting his time in order that the Minister may answer it now.

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 57 together.

In his previous role as Minister for Social Protection, the Taoiseach gave a commitment on Report Stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 in the Dáil that he would ask officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary employment. My officials have recently completed a report on these issues which I am considering in detail.

To qualify for jobseeker’s benefit, a person must be unemployed, be available for and genuinely seeking work, have had a substantial loss of employment and as a result be unemployed for at least four days out of seven every week. The jobseeker’s benefit scheme provides significant support for individuals who can work up to three days a week and receive a jobseeker’s payment.

Seasonal work can be full time, part time or casual, depending on the type of work involved. A seasonal worker who is employed on a full-time basis would not be entitled to a jobseeker’s payment while in that seasonal employment. Contributions paid during this time can be used to re-qualify for jobseeker's benefit, subject to scheme conditionality.

My Department operates a fast-tracking system for customers who sign-off on their jobseeker’s allowance or jobseeker’s benefit claim to take up work or a training course for a period of up to 12 weeks, which reflects the seasonal nature of the work in some instances.

In these cases, the claim is not closed but payment is suspended temporarily for the duration of the work or training course. When the person signs on again after the period of work or training, the claim can be reactivated without delay and payment restored. Where a person exhausts his or her entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit, he or she must pay 13 additional PRSI contributions after the last day of payment in order to re-qualify. The 13 contributions needed to re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit can be paid in respect of full-time employment, seasonal employment, part-time employment or casual employment. If a seasonal or a part-time worker meets this requirement, he or she may re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit. If a person does not re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit or has used up his or her entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit, he or she can apply for jobseeker’s allowance.

It is important in the interests of equity and fairness that the conditions for receipt of a jobseeker's payment apply to all recipients, including those who could be categorised as seasonal and part-time workers.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister has told us what the regulations are at the moment but her predecessor and the Taoiseach gave a commitment in this House, to me and Deputy Willie O'Dea, that a report would be prepared within three months. That was 12 months ago. It is very hard to explain this to those on seasonal or part-time work who make a very important contribution to farming, fishing and tourism, and something has to be done about it.

The Minister met with a delegation of seasonal and part-time workers during the IFA briefings here in Dublin some months ago so she is familiar with the case. These people play an essential part in the various sectors to which I referred. I am aware of the need to build up contributions for 13 weeks after a claim but these things are not practical for those people and the whole purpose of the report is to allow the Minister to consider introducing new regulations that would be practical.

The subsidiary income threshold of €12.70 per day, or €63 per week, is totally unfair and this must be dealt with. I know the Minister is committed to looking at this but there can be no further procrastination. Can she give us a definite date when she will have the report and will make recommendations?

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can give a definite date as to when I had the report as I received it yesterday. I cannot give the Deputy all the recommendations because the report is incredibly complex. I did meet the representatives of these workers, although I do not know if it was the Deputy or somebody else who organised it for me. I understand the exact situation that pertains to the people in the Deputy's county but one cannot make changes to a scheme just to reflect a small number of people in a small part of the country without having far-reaching effects on everybody else. I need to consider the report very carefully, which I will do this weekend, and I will come back to the Deputy with the recommendations I am planning to make to address the issue affecting the people he represents.

I agree that the subsidiary payment is small and this might be one of the easier things to reflect on in the report. I ask the Deputy to give me a little time to reflect on the report. I will come back to it and we will resolve this issue.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that the Deputy cannot legislate just for part of the country. We are different in Donegal but we are not that different and we have the same seasonal workers in various parts of the country such as Wexford, Waterford, etc. We have waited 12 months so we can wait another few weeks for the Minister to reflect on the report, as long as she is prepared to introduce the realistic recommendations which are contained within the report. Perhaps the Minister and I could also have a chat on the margins of the House at some time.

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am not trying to be smart but I think the people I met in Donegal are special because seasonal workers in the rest of the country are not quite in the same position. In the next couple of weeks, the Deputy and I can talk about how we can specifically fix the issue affecting the people he represents.