Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered the report into seasonal and part-time workers' rights and entitlements to social welfare payments drafted by her Department; her plans in relation to the problems experienced by those workers in obtaining social welfare payments once their part-time work ceases; if she is drafting solutions based on the report into seasonal and part-time workers' entitlements for budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26536/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is important in the interests of equity and fairness that the conditions for receipt of a jobseekers payment apply to all recipients, including those who could be categorised as seasonal and part-time workers. Where a person exhausts his or her entitlement to jobseekers benefit, he or she must pay 13 additional PRSI contributions after the last day of payment in order to requalify. The 13 contributions needed to re-qualify for jobseekers benefit can be paid in respect of full time employment, seasonal employment, part-time employment or casual employment. If a seasonal or a part time worker meets this requirement they may requalify for jobseeker’s benefit. This requirement is in place to ensure the person has a reasonable connection with the labour market before he or she can requalify for payment. If a person does not re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit or has used up his or her entitlement to jobseeker's benefit, then he or she may qualify for jobseekers allowance, subject to the means test and other conditions.

The current days based system can also provide significant income supports to jobseekers who are part-time workers or casually employed. For instance an individual can earn a little over €20,190 per year and still retain a small jobseeker's allowance payment, while the equivalent threshold for an individual with a qualified adult is almost €34,700 if they are both working.

I intend to submit the report on jobseekers benefit duration and the treatment of seasonal and part-time workers to the Joint Oireachtas Committee shortly. This report will be published subsequently. The report may inform any changes considered in the context of Budget 2019 subject to the overall budgetary context.