Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 978: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the rule in relation to efforts to find work and availability for work must apply to part-time firemen in view of the fact that they need to be available when called to emergencies. [28472/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In the case of both unemployment benefit and assistance, the legislation provides that all unemployed persons must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment in order to be entitled to a payment. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions on an ongoing basis is not entitled to an unemployment payment.

In applying the legislation Deciding Officers do not treat part-time firefighters differently to any other unemployment benefit or assistance claimant. However, days on which part-time firefighters are involved in training or firefighting are disregarded when determining their entitlement to an unemployment payment.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 980: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to abolish the three month waiting period for applicants for unemployment assistance who have finished school and reached their eighteenth birthday; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28540/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A person is disqualified from receipt of unemployment assistance for any day in which they are attending a full-time day course of study. This disqualification extends over vacation periods during the academic year and summer vacation periods between 2 consecutive years of a course of study.

Second level students are also disqualified from receipt of unemployment assistance for three months after completion of the Leaving Certificate examination or for three months after finishing full-time second level education (whichever is the later). This measure does not apply to unemployment benefit.

Where a child is disqualified for three months and the parent is in receipt of a social welfare payment which includes an increase for him or her, this increase continues to be paid for the duration of the disqualification. There are no plans at present to change existing arrangements in this regard.