Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is one of the few opportunities I will have to talk about benefits. We have discussed section 9, but given that we are talking about jobseeker's allowance for lone parents, the Minister should be aware that on Second Stage I referred to the circumstances of members of Irish Equity, the representative body for the acting profession. I have received further information on this issue and assume that some actors are lone parents who are covered by the legislation. I gather that members of Irish Equity, while not always automatically excluded, have many difficulties in obtaining social welfare payments. That comes from the head office. It is difficult for actors to pursue work in their field as the Department of Social Protection is often of the view that they should be pursuing all types of work, not just in the arts. I am astonished that is an official view that is being taken or a view being taken by individual assessment officers. In other words, those who happen to be actors are told, "Tough. Go out and do something else and then we might consider you."

Another aspect of the problem is that if actors pay for and participate in training to up-skill within their profession, the Department of Social Protection will not pay them for the duration of the training because they are considered to be unavailable for work. This does not apply in any other sector.

The Irish Film Board now has responsibility for training in the industry. This responsibility has been transferred from FÁS which is now the responsibility of the Department of Social Protection. The view of Irish Equity is that it would be useful if there were a connection between the Irish Film Board and the Department in the way that there was regarding FÁS training courses at one time. In other words, there was a connection between the Department and FÁS, but this seems to have disappeared. I can write to the Minister on this issue, as I am only raising it now in the course of this debate. It seems there is an opportunity for the Department to be proactive in helping those involved to participate in training to up-skill within the industry. I would be really concerned if there were a quasi-official position or a position being taken at local level that was making life difficult for members of Irish Equity through their being told that they should go and pursue something else. This is an important matter. There are only 1,500 people involved, of whom I understand only approximately 1,000 might be seeking work at any one time. The number, therefore, is small.