Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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205. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if assistance is available in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41643/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The person concerned was receiving illness benefit from 24^thSeptember 2013 until 4^thSeptember 2014 and is attending a course of study at Blanchardstown Institute of Technology. As she has now been medically assessed as being fit to take up employment she can no longer qualify for illness benefit. In order to qualify for a jobseeker’s payment a person must be available for and actively seeking employment under social welfare legislation; there is no entitlement to receive this payment while a person is attending a full-time course of study. Furthermore, supplementary welfare allowance also cannot be paid to persons attending a course of study under legislation, and consequently the person concerned does not qualify for a social welfare payment in her current circumstances.