Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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360. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is a different provision made available for part-time firemen when it comes to the issue of drawing their stamps; if she will explain exactly what this is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49485/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Over 2,000 persons are employed as retained (part-time) fire-fighters, providing services which are vitally important to their communities. Typically, these workers provide services in rural and less densely populated areas but larger urban centres may also have a cohort of part-time workers.

Retained fire-fighters who are otherwise unemployed 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. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not entitled to a jobseeker’s payment.

Taking account of the unusual circumstances of retained fire personnel the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 carried amendments to both jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance that put the treatment of retained fire fighters on a legislative basis. In bringing these amendments forward I was particularly mindful of the vital service provided by this group, particularly in rural communities where the fire service is almost exclusively staffed by retained personnel.

The legislation and associated regulations will allow retained fire-fighters a reasonable and fair level of access to the schemes.

This legislative package exempts retained fire fighters from having to satisfy the substantial loss of employment condition under jobseeker’s benefit. In addition, retained fire fighters will be exempt from suffering a loss of a day of jobseeker’s payment for every day of fire fighting employment. Finally the legislation also provides that when a retained fire fighter is on call this will not result in a disallowance on grounds of availability.