Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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400. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons aged 26 years of age and under in receipt of jobseeker's allowance by age and payment; the number of qualified adult rates included in these groups; the estimated cost in a full year of restoring all the reduced payments for persons under 26 years to the full adult rate and with the qualified adult rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30327/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of persons aged 26 years of age and under in receipt of jobseeker's allowance by age and payment; the number of qualified adult rate is detailed in the attached tabular statement.

The estimated full year cost to pay the full adult rate of €203 per week to persons under 26 years of age on Jobseeker's Allowance is €59.9 million. This costing includes increasing the €112.70 qualified adult rate to €134.70 per week.

Young jobseekers who participate in an education, training or employment programme currently qualify for the maximum weekly rate of payment.  Age-related reduced rates of payment also do not apply in certain circumstances, such as when the claimant has a dependent child, or transferred to Jobseeker's Allowance from Disability Allowance, or was in State care during the 12 months prior to applying for Jobseeker's Allowance. 

It should be noted that any change to the reduced rates of Jobseeker's Allowance would need to be considered in a budgetary context.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement Attached

Number of recipients  of a Jobseekers Allowance aged 26 and under payment by age and rate with the number of adult dependents on the 30th of June 2019.