Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 477: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons claiming jobseeker's benefit and allowance who notified his Department that they will return to their home country or are seeking to work in another EU country to date in 2010; the value of payment relating to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31548/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Customers in receipt of jobseeker payments, both jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance, do not always notify the Department when they are signing off. Some customers may just stop collecting their payments and, in other instances, may simply state that they are signing off.

Since 1971, those in receipt of jobseeker's benefit can transfer their payment to another EU country for a period not exceeding 13 weeks while they seek employment. Payment was made by the country to which the customer travelled to seek work and was reimbursed by this Department. New EU Regulations, introduced with effect from 1 st May 2010, allow for the continuation of payment for 13 weeks by this Department directly to the claimant while they are abroad. The jobseeker is subject to the control procedures operated by the Member State in which they are seeking work and the Department is notified if the customer is not adhering to these procedures.

The table shows the number of transfers to date in 2010.

The value of transfers has been calculated by taking the personal daily rate for jobseeker's benefit and multiplying this by 78 (the maximum number of days for which the benefit can be transferred).