Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will investigate the difficulties for members of the Fire Service to receive payment of jobseeker's benefit on the basis of availability for work, being in receipt of a small, retained fire-fighter's payment and being confined to a 1.5 mile radius in terms of employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17891/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Part-time fire-fighters are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. However, taking account of the unusual circumstances of these workers and general efforts to develop and standardise our jobseeker schemes, a group was established in the Department to examine the position of part-time fire-fighters. Discussions on this issue are still on-going. Further discussions with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government are also planned. I hope that a resolution of the issues can be found shortly.