Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person on the back to education allowance may take up unpaid work experience during the summer months without it affecting their social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18128/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Customers on the back to education allowance may apply for an appropriate social welfare payment for the duration of the summer months. In doing so they must satisfy all relevant conditions and many social welfare schemes do not preclude a customer from engaging in unpaid work.

Where a person is in receipt of a jobseeker payment they are required to be unemployed, available to accept an offer of full-time work and be actively engaged in seeking such work. A person who is engaged in employment, either paid or unpaid, would not be considered to meet these requirements.

Due to the conditionality attached to jobseeker schemes, the Department has introduced a number of options which are specifically aimed at jobseeker customers. Under the Voluntary Work Option, a person who engages in voluntary work within the State may continue to be entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or allowance provided that, in engaging in the voluntary work, the customer continues to satisfy the statutory conditions of being available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. The groups or organisations involved may be national or local voluntary or community groups and it would be usual for the organisation to be a registered charity or a not-for-profit organisation. Examples of voluntary work in which jobseekers may engage include helping the sick, elderly or persons with a disability, assisting youth clubs, church groups, sports groups, cultural organisations, or local resident associations.

JobBridge is the National internship scheme which provides work experience placements for interns for either a six month or a nine month period. Time spent on back to education allowance can be taken into account to qualify for JobBridge provided that the person has first completed the relevant course of education.

Information on JobBridge and on the voluntary work option is available on the Department’s website at and in all of the Department’s Intreo centres and local offices.