Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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960. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if additional supports for persons that have completed training (details supplied) will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12355/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The jobseeker’s schemes provide income support for people under 66 who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s schemes of €2.17 billion.

It is a fundamental qualifying condition for both jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance that a person must be unemployed, available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. The schemes also require that persons must be fully unemployed for at least four in any seven consecutive days. They must also satisfy social insurance contribution and substantial loss of employment conditionality to qualify for jobseeker’s benefit.

Jobseeker's benefit is paid for 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for 6 months (156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid. Jobseeker’s allowance, which is a means-tested payment, does not have a restriction on the length of time for which jobseeker’s allowance can be paid as long as the jobseeker satisfies the conditions of being unemployed, available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. However, jobseekers may be subject to the activation process which is the selection and referral of a person on a jobseeker payment to a compulsory engagement and case management process to support them back into employment.

My Department also offers a range of employment supports to jobseekers who are not subject to activation. Trained case officers provide a personalised supportive collaborative service tailored to meet the individual circumstances of the jobseeker. During the course of the engagement between the case officer and the jobseeker, all possible pro-employment incentives are explored and explained to the jobseeker and the advantages and benefits of suitable employment take up are promoted as an integral part of the activation interaction.

The person concerned is advised to contact their local Intreo office where they will be advised of any employment supports appropriate to their individual circumstances.