Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on stay-at-home parents who wish to return to work after 20 years being disqualified from going on the live register and subsequently being disqualified from back-to-work and education schemes; her further views on whether not allowing such persons to sign on the live register gives an incorrect reflection of the real unemployment figures; her plans to allow such persons to sign on the live register or make these schemes more accessible to stay-at-home parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7931/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A person is entitled to make an application for jobseeker's allowance in circumstances similar to those outlined in the Deputy's question. Jobseeker's allowance is a means-tested payment. If the person satisfies the means test and other criteria such as being available for and genuinely seeking work, she may qualify for payment. The Live Register includes applicants for credited contributions. If an unemployed person does not qualify for a payment, he or she may be entitled to credited contributions, if he or she has previously worked and paid PRSI. If there has been a break of contributions paid or credited for two full consecutive tax years, the person cannot get credits until he or she returns to work and pays PRSI contributions for at least 26 weeks.

The Live Register is not designed to measure unemployment. It includes part-time workers, seasonal and casual workers entitled to jobseeker's benefit or allowance. Unemployment is measured by the Quarterly National Household Survey conducted by the CSO. The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support measures that are designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. These measures assist unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed, lone parents and sickness related welfare recipients, to return to the active labour market either by taking up employment or becoming self-employed. This is done through a number of schemes, including the back to education allowance, back to work enterprise allowance, short term enterprise allowance and the employer job incentive scheme. In addition, the activation and family support programme offers support to social welfare customers and other disadvantaged people to help them to improve their employability.