Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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258. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the duration of jobseeker's benefit by three months. [30243/14]

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. The 2014 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €3.28 billion.

The profile of the schemes has changed significantly over recent years, in particular in respect of jobseeker’s benefit where recipient numbers have steadily decreased from a crisis peak of over 180,000 in 2009 to circa 55,000 currently.

In considering the potential costs associated with any proposal to increase the duration of jobseeker’s benefit a range of policy and operational factors would have to be considered. These would include implementation issues, such as the treatment of existing recipients at the date of implementation, and the extent to which associated costs would be moderated via reduced recourse to other schemes, such as jobseeker’s assistance. Such detailed considerations have not been undertaken. In this context it is not possible at this point in time to supply a robust cost estimate in respect of this measure.