Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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146. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure that all those normally employed in schools as secretaries, cleaners and caretakers with moneys from funding sources including the ancillary services grant are enabled to apply for and receive social protection payments and entitlements in a timely and swift manner during periods of temporary lay-off, such as during school holidays; if such workers must go through the normal application process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20231/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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A jobseeker’s payment is paid for days of unemployment where the person is not in receipt of holiday pay for those days and where they also satisfy the conditions of the scheme.

School educational sector workers, who are employed on a temporary basis and who have previously been in contact with the Department, are issued with a repeat jobseeker’s application form and holiday form in advance of the school holiday periods. This advance process facilitates an efficient service to these customers and allows for speedy processing of their claim when the period of unemployment actually arises. However, it is important to note that educational sector workers are still required to sign on for each period of unemployment.

In general, there is no delay in processing jobseeker benefit claims in Intreo Centres if the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation are completed, as required by the customer in a timely manner. On average, a jobseeker’s benefit claim is decided within one week of application.