Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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226. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the correct procedure to be followed by a person who is in casual employment to ensure that payment for bank holidays in respect of the person's jobseeker's claim is paid on the correct week that it is due when no casual employment has taken place on that day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20560/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Under the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 employers are liable for payment of bank holidays if the employee has worked at least 40 hours in the last 5 weeks before a bank holiday. Part-time employees are not entitled to jobseeker's benefit or allowance in respect of bank holidays where the employer has liability for payment. The Department only pays a customer for a bank holiday if the employer is not liable for payment.

If a bank holiday is included in a week in which a customer submits a casual docket, the Department’s payment system defaults to non-payment for that day as the vast majority of customers would qualify for payment from their employer. However, if a customer is not due payment for a bank holiday from their employer, the Department will pay a jobseeker’s payment for that day. The customer must notify the Department if their employer has no liability for payment.