Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if students who are pursuing online postgraduate degree courses are eligible to apply for jobseeker's benefit/allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41732/13]

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 full-time employment. To qualify for payment, a person must satisfy certain conditions, including the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. The relevant legislation specifically excludes students who are attending a full-time day course of study from entitlement under the schemes. Other educational situations, including online degree courses, are examined individually to determine if the conditions of the scheme are satisfied. Factors considered in this context include whether the course is full-time or part-time and the overall level of commitment required from the course participant in terms of time and cost.

The level of commitment required to participate in a full-time course of education is not usually consistent with the requirement to be available for full-time employment. However, each case is considered on its merits and decisions are made based on the particular circumstances of each case.