Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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273. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons, divided into single people and parents, if possible, currently receiving additional income support under jobseeker's allowance while they work three days or less; the process of assessing a person's weekly income for the purposes of calculating a person's additional jobseeker's allowance payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31892/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Jobseeker’s allowance is a means tested payment and earnings are taken into account in determining means.

A disregard of €20 a day (up to a maximum of €60) applies up to a maximum of 3 days and the balance is assessed at 60%. In determining the assessable income from insurable employment, the following deductions are allowed: superannuation, additional voluntary contributions, PRSI, the pension levy and trade union subscriptions. The person's net average assessable weekly earnings are assessed by reference to the previous 13 weeks or another period if this is more representative of the person's normal working pattern. Jobseeker’s allowance is not payable where the average means are equal to or in excess of the relevant family rate of payment.

In the case of a couple, each person is assessed in exactly the same manner, assessable income less the relevant disregards and 60% of the balance is assessed as means.

As of the end of August 2015, approximately 32,800 casual/part-time workers were claiming a personal rate of jobseeker’s allowance and approximately 16,500 casual/part-time workers were claiming a child dependant allowance. These numbers do not include self-employed persons.