Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the entitlements available for low paid part-time staff who work twenty hours per week (details supplied). [37205/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative employment. It is a fundamental qualifying condition for these benefits that a person must be available for full-time work. A person is entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance where, inter alia, they are fully unemployed for at least 3 days in any period of 6 consecutive days (Sundays are currently excluded from this calculation).

It is recognised that a changing labour market has resulted in a move away from the more traditional work patterns, with a consequent increase in the number of atypical workers. In acknowledgement of this trend, the Department conducted a ‘Review of the Application of the Unemployment Benefit and Assistance Schemes Conditions to Workers who are not employed on a full-time basis’ in 2006, which examined the application of the jobseekers benefit and allowance scheme conditions to workers who are employed on a part-time, casual or systematic short-time basis.

The review made a number of recommendations which are currently under consideration by a Departmental working group. These considerations are complex and are taking place in the context of other social welfare reforms, the current economic situation, and the considerable administrative and IT change that implementing proposals based on these recommendations would require.