Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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88. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a clear and simple process for professional actors requiring financial support from her Department will be established in view of the variable nature of the work and income of the acting profession. [8285/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The main social welfare schemes for unemployed persons are the jobseeker’s allowance and benefit schemes which provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. Both schemes already provide significant support to individuals so that they can work up to 3 days a week and still retain access to a reduced jobseeker’s payment. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s schemes of €2.17 billion. It is accepted that periods of unemployment are a normal feature of the acting and artistic professions and people in these professions can qualify for a jobseeker payment when they are unemployed. For instance, actors including self-employed actors, who satisfy the scheme’s conditionality and the means test can qualify for a jobseeker’s allowance payment. Actors who are working part-time and are categorised as casual jobseeker’s allowance recipients or those who are self-employed and in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance are not currently activated by my Department.

My Department also operates a fast-tracking process for customers who sign-off on their jobseeker’s allowance or jobseeker’s benefit claim to take up work for a period of up to 12 weeks. In these cases, the claim is not closed. Rather, payment is suspended temporarily for the duration of the work or training course. When the person signs on again after the period of work or training, the claim can be reactivated without delay and payment restored.

In addition, my Department’s Intreo service now provides a more focussed service to those in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment, including actors.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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89. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the policy in relation to the frequency with which an actor is means-tested when in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. [8286/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker’s allowance is a means tested payment and a person must satisfy the scheme conditions which include a means test and being available for full-time work. All jobseeker allowance claims including an actor’s claim are subject to review. A person’s entitlement to jobseeker’s allowance is reviewed on a continuing basis to ensure that they continue to satisfy the conditions of the scheme. A person’s means may also be reviewed from time to time. A customer may also request a review of their means in the light of changed circumstances at any time.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.