Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on amending section 249(6A) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended by section 8(2)(b) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014, to enable recipients of social welfare to continue to receive their welfare payment if they need to travel abroad for medical treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48907/14]

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 employment. The revised estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of €3.3bn in 2014 in respect of the jobseekers schemes.

In respect of jobseeker's allowance, legislation provides that a person shall be disqualified from the scheme while he or she is resident, either temporarily or permanently, outside the State. Section 8(2)(b) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014, extended this provision to provide that an increase in respect of a qualified adult shall not be payable as part of a jobseeker's allowance claim for any period where that qualified adult is resident, either temporarily or permanently, outside the State.

In implementing these provisions allowance is made for periods, of up to two weeks in a calendar year, where a person may be absent from the State on holiday. I am satisfied that these arrangements allow sufficient latitude for customers while protecting the integrity of the scheme.