Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the qualifying criteria in respect of the new momentum initiative; the progress to date in the determination of eligibility in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [5922/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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To qualify for the Momentum scheme, a customer must

1.Be unemployed and on the Live Register for 12 months (312 days) or longer and

2.Be in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance/Benefit or credited contributions for 12 months or longer and

3.Be actively seeking work.

Periods spent on JobBridge, Back to Education Allowance, VTOS, full time FÁS/Fáilte Ireland Training courses, Youthreach, Community Employment Schemes, TUS, the Rural Social Scheme, Back to Work Scheme, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Job Initiative or Job Assist may count towards meeting the eligibility for MOMENTUM, provided the customer has completed the Scheme/Programme in question and returned to the Live Register. It should be noted, however, that such customers - having had the benefit of an intervention – would not necessarily be prioritised for referral to Momentum.

In order to satisfy the qualifying period of 312 days, consideration and approval may be given to a customer who meets the 312 days condition on JA/JB out of the previous 18 months at the start date of the course.

The person in question will not meet the qualification criteria for the Momentum scheme until 17/02/13 as they were on Illness Benefit from 07/12/11 until 16/02/12.