Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was refused jobseeker's allowance. [20750/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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To be entitled to jobseeker's benefit or allowance a person must be available for and capable of work.

The person concerned had been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and was paid in Dublin, until 1 April 2008, when her claim was suspended and then closed as she had failed to sign the live register as required.

The person concerned applied for an illness benefit payment on 2 April 2008 but did not qualify as she has insufficient contributions in the governing contribution year. However, she continued to provide medical certificates stating that she was incapable of work. These continued until 29 April 2008. In the meantime she approached the Social Welfare Office in Claremorris on 9 April 2008 and requested that her jobseeker's allowance claim be transferred to that office. A Deciding Officer disallowed her jobseeker's claim on the grounds that she was not available for and not capable of work, as she was medically certified as incapable of work.

Her Social Welfare Local Office will contact her regarding her current availability and medical capacity for work. Also, an application form for family income supplement (FIS) has been issued to her spouse as he may qualify for such a payment.

It is open to her to appeal the jobseeker's disallowance decision and a form for this purpose has been issued to her. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.