Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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1775. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person that is 18 years of age and has finished second level education cannot receive social protection payments until September in view of the fact that their parents are on the live register and have no other means to support them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36892/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The jobseeker’s allowance scheme provides income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2017 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s allowance scheme of €2.16 billion.

Social welfare legislation provides that a person is not entitled to jobseeker’s allowance while attending a course of study. This disqualification also extends to the holiday periods, including the summer holidays. It also provides that a person shall be regarded as attending a course of study:-

- For 3 months immediately following the completion or the leaving by that person of second level education or the completion by him or her of the leaving certificate examination of the Department of Education and Skills, whichever is the later;

- For the duration of an academic year, or

- For the period immediately following the completion of one academic year, other than the final academic year of a course of study, up to the beginning of the following year.

The disqualification for three months is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. If school leavers or college students were eligible for a jobseeker’s payment for the summer months it could prove a significant disincentive for them to continue their education.

Where the young person’s parent is in receipt of a social welfare payment, an increase for a qualified child can continue to be paid in respect of that young person for the three months referred to above, subject to the scheme conditionality being satisfied.

There are currently no plans to change the current arrangements in this regard and any changes to these provisions could only be considered in the context of the Budget.