Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider the position of workers at a plant (details supplied); if she will ensure that these workers will re qualify for jobseeker's benefit, in view of the circumstances which prevail at the plant where lay offs were for five weeks in 2008, 11 weeks in 2009, 22 weeks in 2010 and 13 weeks, to date, in 2011; if she will further explain the reason the workers and management at the plant have been unable to secure a meeting with senior Social Protection personnel to discuss their situation, despite having sought this meeting over a period of six months; if she will direct senior personnel in her Department to meet with the interested parties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17801/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Jobseeker's benefit is payable for a maximum period of 312 days or 234 days depending on a person's social insurance record. Workers at the plant in question are currently in receipt of jobseeker's benefit due to reduced working week or temporary lay-offs.

A person in receipt of jobseeker's benefit can re-qualify for jobseeker's benefit when their claim exhausts if they satisfy the normal contributions conditions for qualifying for jobseeker's benefit and have paid at least 13 Class A social insurance contributions from the date that 156 days benefit was paid on their claim. In addition, a part-time worker or a person working on a systematic short-time basis must have suffered a substantial loss to their normal pattern of employment. The decision as to whether or not the substantial loss clause applies can only be made at the time the benefit exhausts and on a case by case basis.

In February 2011, the manager of the local social welfare branch office met with management of the plant where she outlined the conditions for receipt of jobseeker's benefit and supplied them with a written outline of the details. If there is any further clarification required by the management or worker representatives at the plant they should advise the local office accordingly.

To protect the confidentiality of personal details it is not possible to discuss specific cases with management or worker representatives. It is open to individual workers to contact their local social welfare office with any enquiries regarding their eligibility for jobseeker's benefit.

It is the practice of the Department to advise customers well in advance of exhausting their jobseeker's benefit of the option of applying for jobseeker's allowance so that their entitlement to jobseeker's allowance is established once jobseeker's benefit payment exhausts and where the re-qualification conditions for jobseeker's benefit are not met.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if partial interest relief is payable on foot of mortgage of €1340 per month in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17829/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that there is no record of an application for mortgage interest supplement from the person concerned. If the person concerned wishes to make an application for mortgage interest supplement he should contact the community welfare officer at his local health centre.