Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the difficulties suffered by agency workers on casual dockets, who must wait weeks for the employer to sign the dockets, and the resulting long delays in getting a social welfare payment; and if she will address this matter. [18280/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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My Department is committed to ensuring that the correct payment issues to the appropriate person in a timely manner and to achieve this aim for jobseeker payments it is necessary to administer two separate systems for those who are partially employed each week.

Where a person’s work pattern does not fluctuate from week to week, arrangements are put in place for the employment pattern to be verified via monthly confirmation of the ongoing work pattern. Where this employment pattern subsequently varies, it may be necessary for the customer to revert to weekly certification, as outlined below.

Where a person is engaged in casual or part-time employment, the days worked each week can vary. Accordingly, to ensure that the correct weekly payment issues, customers are required to complete a form on a weekly basis setting out the days on which they worked and the days on which they were unemployed and have this form verified by their employer. This is normally a very quick process with the submitted dockets scanned onto the Department’s computer system and the relevant payment calculated and issued.

I recognise these arrangements can cause difficulties in a small number of cases and, in these circumstances, alternative arrangements can be put in place such as the acceptance of a signature from the employer’s local representative (e.g. a local supervisor or manager). Any customer experiencing such difficulties should contact their local Intreo centre where alternative arrangements can be discussed.