Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Social Protection

Labour Activation Measures

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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213. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 1 May 2014, since that reply issued, the number of persons who have had their jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance reduced or suspended for refusing to engage with labour activation schemes. [13017/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Legislation provides that penalties in the form of reduced payments may be imposed by a Deciding Officer where clients fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures.

Activation measures include the requirement to attend group or individual meetings, and/or to avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities, or specified employment programmes (e.g. Community Employment), which are considered appropriate to a person’s circumstances.

A total of 6,413 penalties were applied from 1 January 2014 to end February 2015. This figure is inclusive of the 1,113 penalty rates quoted in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 1 May 2014.

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