Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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883. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if social welfare sanctions for jobseeker’s payments ceased during the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32879/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will know, activation penalty rates can be imposed in circumstances where a Jobseeker has failed to engage without good cause in the activation process. A penalty rate can be applied followed by a nine week disqualification of a Jobseeker’s payment. The disqualification may only be imposed in circumstances where a person, who has already had his or her rate reduced by way of a penalty rate for a period of not less than 21 calendar days (3 weeks) and continues to refuse or fail, without good cause, to engage with the Department’s activation service. The legislation underpinning the application of penalty rates is provided for in the Social Welfare Act, 2010.

The Department is committed, under Pathways to Work, to incentivise the take-up of activation opportunities, including implementing sanctions for failure to engage without good cause.

However, in the context of restrictions introduced by Government on public health grounds, and as part of the Department’s response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, the application of activation penalty rate sanctions was suspended from 13th March 2020. All existing penalty rates were lifted and payments reinstated.

As a consequence no jobseeker customers have been placed on an activation penalty rate since 13th March 2020. This matter will be kept under review by my Department in the context of the Government's Resilience and Recovery Plan; Living with COVID 19.