Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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358. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to amend the number of contribution requirements needed by seasonal and part-time workers in order to be eligible for the jobseeker's benefit payment and in order to make it much more accessible to this category of worker; his views on whether the present contribution requirements prevent many seasonal and part-time workers from qualifying for the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16307/17]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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359. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will revise the current subsidiary income threshold of €12.70 per day with a view to extend entitlement to social protection payments to a larger number of seasonal and part-time workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16308/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 and 359 together.

I gave a commitment at Dáil report stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 that I would ask my officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary employment.

My Department is currently undertaking two reports – one in relation to the subsidiary employment daily earnings limit of €12.70 and the second in relation to jobseeker’s benefit duration and the issues raised by the Deputy are being considered in the context of these reports.

My intention is to present these reports to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection for its consideration shortly. The timeframe is ambitious but I am committed to producing the reports as quickly as possible so that they can inform Budget 2018 discussions.