Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 353: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the eligibility for children's allowance for an Irish citizen parent of two children residing here who is in receipt of a maintenance payment from their estranged partner who resides in the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45994/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A child benefit claim was received from the person concerned in April 2008. According to the information provided, she came to reside in Ireland with her children in February 2008. She is not employed but her ex-partner is employed in the United Kingdom.

Under EU Regulations, the country of employment is responsible for the payment of child benefit. UK child benefit is being paid to the husband for this reason and because he is maintaining the children. Because the child benefit rate is higher in Ireland than in the UK, in accordance with the Regulations the difference between the two rates, i.e. the supplement, is being paid by this Department to the person concerned. In this way the family is receiving the maximum rate of child benefit applicable, even though this amount is divided between the two partners.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average waiting time in each of the social welfare offices operated by her Department in respect of dealing with unemployment payment claims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45998/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department delivers a front-line service through a network of Local Offices and Branch Offices countrywide. The main services provided from these offices include jobseekers payment, one-parent family payment and an information service. Branch Offices are operated under a contract for service and decisions on claims taken in Branch Offices are made in its departmental parent Local Office.

In the past few years the Department has coped with increasing demands arising from significant changes to the social welfare code and in the numbers of persons accessing services. Operational procedures and the organisation of work continue to be reviewed and restructured to maximise the benefits of technology and new developments in processing techniques and business information.

The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions vary between the two jobseeker schemes and involve, among other things, the need to establish the person's social insurance record, establish the person's identity or their place of habitual residence and to assess means where appropriate. In some cases delays arise where the person fails to supply all pertinent information in support of his/her application.

The overall performance in any individual office in processing claims can be adversely affected by a wide variety of factors; including increased inflow of claims, staff vacancies and the duration of such vacancies and the turnover of staff in the office. The average processing time in November in each office is given in the following table.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will not receive the Christmas bonus in view of the fact that prior to this period of receiving jobseeker's allowance they were in receipt of the back to work scheme allowance following a long period of unemployment; and if this case will be reviewed. [46009/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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To qualify for a Christmas bonus while in receipt of jobseeker's allowance a person must be in receipt of the allowance for at least 390 days.

The person concerned was in receipt of back to work allowance while in self-employment. His self-employment ceased and he applied for and was awarded jobseeker's allowance from 4 September 2008. He was, therefore, in receipt of this allowance for 83 days when entitlement to the Christmas bonus was calculated and accordingly he is not entitled to the bonus on this occasion.

He was granted a special needs payment of €400 on 4 December 2008, by the Community Welfare Officer. If he feels that his means are insufficient to meet his needs, it is open to him to contact his local Community Welfare Officer again regarding possible further assistance.