John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if family income supplement payments have been suspended for any persons engaging in industrial action, in view of the incorrect information given out by his Department on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12204/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support from my Department, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS was designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are currently over 57,000 families with more than 127,000 children in receipt of FIS and the Government has provided approximately €422 million for FIS in 2017

A unique feature of the FIS scheme is that recipients receive a guaranteed level of income support throughout a 52-week period. This certainty is important to the success of the scheme as it provides an incentive to claimants to maximise their earnings from employment (e.g. more hours, higher wages).

The recent Tesco industrial dispute led to the Department receiving a number of queries on the FIS entitlement of those participating in industrial action. These highlighted an incorrect reference on some Departmental documentation, and on the Department’s website, that FIS may be suspended due to participation in a trade dispute.

This incorrect information has been corrected.

There is no provision in social welfare legislation, which provides for the suspension or termination of FIS in the event that the recipient is involved in industrial action. My Department has not suspended or terminated FIS in respect of any Tesco worker, specifically on the grounds that they were involved in the recent industrial dispute.

My Department is currently reviewing available records to see if it can establish whether, in the past, a FIS recipient involved in an industrial dispute has had their payment suspended and take any necessary corrective action.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.