Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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48. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the evaluation of workers’ rights she has undertaken in the case of casual workers on low-hours contracts who do not qualify for the re-assessment of their claims when they take a holiday from work, as against those who are on full-time equivalent social protection incomes and who are entitled to a two-week paid holiday in the duration of a 12-month claim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5243/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2016 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €2.8 billion.

It is a fundamental qualifying condition of both schemes that a person must be fully unemployed for four days in any period of seven consecutive days. A person working four or more days a week will not qualify for a jobseeker’s payment, even if they work only a small number of hours on those days.

All jobseeker customers can take up to two weeks' paid holiday days per calendar year, that is, for any period (consecutive or non-consecutive) of 12 days. Jobseekers are entitled to payment in respect of their claim (including dependants where applicable) for the holiday period without being subject to the normal conditions of the scheme.

The jobseeker schemes are paid weekly in arrears with the customer certifying that they did satisfy the conditions of the scheme. Where a customer avails of the holiday option, payment continues to be in arrears, with the customer presenting to their Intreo Centre on return from holidays to have their payment for the holiday period issued.

There is no situation where a claimant can be automatically classified as a casual worker. Each case must be examined on its own merits. During the course of a jobseeker’s benefit claim, however, a change in circumstances may necessitate a re-classification from a casual worker to a part-time worker. If Deputy Murphy has a specific case in mind, please furnish me with the details and I will ask my officials to investigate.