Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to allowing siblings with no income who are living at home to qualify as a dependent adult for purposes of social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13071/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under current legislation, a person is not entitled to receive jobseeker's allowance while attending a course of study. A person aged 18 or over is regarded as attending a course of study: (a) for 3 months immediately following the completion or the leaving by that person of second level education or the completion by him or her of the leaving certificate examination whichever is the later, (b) for the duration of an academic year, or (c) for the period immediately following the completion of one academic year, other than the final academic year of a course of study, up to the beginning of the following academic year.

It is understood that the Deputy is referring to the situation where a person is not entitled due to one or other of the reasons outlined above and where the parent or parents of that person are in receipt of a welfare payment in their own right. For the purposes of weekly social welfare income maintenance payments, an increase for a qualified child is payable in respect of each qualified child. Qualified children include children who are 18 years or over following completion of second-level education or the Leaving Certificate, provided he or she does not qualify for a social welfare payment in his/her own right. This increase can continue to be payable up to the end of the academic year in which a son or daughter attains the age of 22 years of age provided that person remains in full time education.

Increases for qualified adults are payable in respect of a spouse, civil partner or a person cohabiting with a welfare recipient who is wholly or mainly maintained by that recipient. There are no plans to further extend the categories of persons in respect of whom an increase for a qualified adult is payable. Any changes to the provisions relating to persons regarded as attending a course of study would have to be considered in a Budgetary context and in the light of available resources.