Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 675: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there is a mechanism in place notifying persons that their entitlement to jobseeker's benefit is coming to an end and that they should apply for jobseeker's allowance; if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that this person was misinformed of their entitlement and of their requirement to fulfil the criteria for jobseeker's allowance and as a direct result has had their payment suspended. [14813/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has an automated system which sends out a letter to claimants four weeks in advance of their Jobseeker's Benefit exhausting. The letter sets out the claimant's entitlement options. Along with this notification, the Department includes an application form for Jobseeker's Allowance. The person in question is a casual worker. This automated system does not apply to casual workers due to the nature of their casual employment in each week. Each week the local office notes the days remaining on their entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit. The local office notified the claimant at the appropriate time to make a Jobseeker's Allowance claim.

The person was on Jobseeker's Benefit from 3 March 2009 to 23 Dec 2009 when his claim was closed as his benefits had exhausted. He subsequently registered for Jobseeker's Allowance on 3 February 2010. His Jobseeker's Allowance claim was awarded and paid. Payments were backdated to 24 December 2009. On 5 February 2010, he received €862.30 for the period 24 December 2009 to 2 February 2010. On 19 February 2010, he received €302 for the period 3 February to 16 February 2010.

A casual worker must return casual dockets each week relating to his days of employment by 12 noon Thursday in order for payment to issue.

The person concerned failed to return dockets from 25 February 2010 and consequently his claim was closed on 29 March 2010. He made another claim on 1 April 2010 and this is now being investigated.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 676: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the weekly amount of jobseeker's allowance which a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to receive. [14825/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned has been awarded jobseeker's allowance at the maximum weekly rate of €100, the rate applicable for persons under 20 years of age, less applicable weekly means from 19 December, 2009. He has been assessed as a casual worker on his jobseeker's allowance claim with a weekly non-earning means of €49.00 and a daily earnings means of €18.00 per day worked. Therefore, his weekly jobseeker's allowance payment will vary with the number of days he works in any jobseeker allowance week. i.e. If he works 1 day in a jobseeker's allowance week he would receive a jobseeker's allowance payment of €33.00, (€100.00, full rate – €18.00, 1 day worked - €49 weekly non-earnings means).