Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the precise grounds and extent of income over a specific period that prevent a person (details supplied) in County Kildare from qualifying for jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23805/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Social welfare legislation provides that if one person of a couple is getting jobseeker's allowance, and the spouse/partner is in receipt of illness benefit, the amount that can be paid to the couple is limited to the maximum amount that would be payable to the couple if either were to claim a personal rate and an increase for the spouse/partner as a qualified adult.

The specific calculation of means in the case of the application for jobseeker's allowance by the person concerned, who works when he is called out as a firefighter is as follows:

Means assessment calculation Gross Earnings (basic plus retainer as €31,653.29 per P60 for tax year ended 31/12/2009) Less PRSI € 1,690.26 Net Earnings €29,963.03 Less number of callouts (235x €20 per callout) € 4,700.00

€25,263.03 x 60%

= €15,157.81/52

= € 291.49 p.w. = Earnings from firefighting FAMILY RATE PERSON (assessed separately) €196.00 (personal rate) €196.00 (personal rate) €130.10 (qualified adult) € 44.70 (half rate qualified child allowance) € 89.40 (qualified children) €240.70 €415.50 €146.00 (less half means) €291.00 (less means) € 94.70 Maximum amount payable €124.50 Maximum amount payable

The spouse/partner of the person concerned is in receipt of €196.00 per week illness benefit therefore he does not qualify for the payment of jobseeker's allowance as €196.00 exceeds the maximum payable as calculated under either the family rate (€124.50) or the personal rate (€94.70).