Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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236. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of jobseekers, by region, who have been penalised with penalty rates for not engaging with the Pathways to Work programme; the number of penalties that have been applied, and for how long; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28967/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In order to qualify for a Jobseeker payment, a person must meet certain qualifying conditions, including the requirement to be available for, capable of and genuinely seeking full-time work. A range of sanctions, including disqualification, closure or disallowance of the jobseeker claim, may be imposed where a client fails to meet the stated conditions. A Jobseeker claim may be reviewed at any time in order to establish continued entitlement.

Penalty Rates are a legal provision within the Jobseeker schemes to ensure that the Department can achieve compliance with Government Activation Policy as stated in Pathways to Work. Sanctions/penalties in the form of reduced payments may be imposed by a Deciding Officer where recipients of jobseeker payments fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures. Activation measures include the requirement to attend group or individual meetings, and/or avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities, or specified employment programmes, which are considered appropriate to a person’s circumstances.

If a person continues to fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures, while on a penalty rate, he/she may be disqualified from receiving the personal rate of payment. The normal rate of payment may be reinstated at any time, if the jobseeker complies, as requested, with activation measures.

The total numbers of penalty rates applied, since their inception in 2011 to end June, 2015 are indicated in the table.