Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to allow those who have been made redundant since the beginning of 2025 to avail of the jobseeker's pay-related benefit scheme rather than just those made redundant since 31 March 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17653/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support, linked to previous earnings, which has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people whose first day of unemployment is on or after 31 March 2025.

A commencement date is required for the introduction of any new scheme. The Commencement Order provides that this scheme comes into operation on 31 March 2025. The scheme is available to those whose unemployment begins on or after this date as provided for in section 68KB(1)(d) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended.

The existing Jobseeker's Benefit scheme is available for people who became fully unemployed before that date and such customers will remain on Jobseeker's Benefit until they return to employment or their benefit runs out, subject to the normal rules of that scheme.

A person who is experiencing financial difficulty may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment from the Department of Social Protection to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. These payments are means tested and administered by the Community Welfare Service considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.