Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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680. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to review the practice of childminders having to sign-on during holiday periods; if he will consider bringing them in line with the arrangements for teachers and SNAs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17381/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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All persons who apply for a jobseekers payment are required to satisfy the conditions for a jobseekers payment including any signing arrangements.

A jobseeker’s payment is a income support available to all those who are on a temporary lay-off from their employment who satisfy the conditions of the scheme. A person may during a period of a temporary lay-off make a claim for jobseekers but must satisfy all the qualifying conditions including being available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. This includes childminders, teachers, Special Needs Assistants, and other workers in the education sector.

It should be noted, there is no specific scheme available for teachers and SNAs when they are temporarily laid-off during the school breaks. A person must continue to make appropriate efforts to secure suitable employment for the duration of their lay-off.

The easiest and fastest way for a person to make their claim for jobseeker's is online through their verified MyWelfare.ie account. Alternatively, a paper jobseeker's application form may be completed and submitted to the local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.

I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.