Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to allow college students on their summer holidays to apply for jobseeker's allowance or another social welfare payment, as they are finding it difficult to secure work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23963/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Social welfare legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not entitled to a jobseeker’s payment.

A student undergoing a full-time course of study, instruction or training is disqualified for receiving jobseekers allowance or benefit. This disqualification also extends to the holiday periods, including the summer holidays. The disqualification for receipt of jobseeker’s benefit or allowance does not apply in the case of mature students during the period between two academic years. During this period a mature student can apply for jobseeker’s benefit or allowance, subject to satisfying the standard qualifying conditions, including that of being available for full-time work. There are no plans to change these aspects of the jobseeker’s schemes.