Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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1830. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason teachers are exempt from jobseeker's pay-related benefit and are unable to claim this payment when they are out of contract during the summer term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42400/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit scheme was introduced at the end of March this year. This social insurance-based income support has replaced the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people who have become fully unemployed since the commencement of the scheme on 31 March.

The legislation underpinning the scheme provides that specific categories of atypical workers are not included under the Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit scheme and who will continue to be supported under the existing Jobseeker's Benefit scheme. These exclusions apply to people who are working on a part-time, casual or seasonal basis, including those who have a recurring pattern of employment and unemployment aligned with the academic year. The conditions for the Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit scheme are not designed to provide in-work support on a recurring and intermittent basis.

Workers whose employment patterns aligns with the academic year have a predictable or ongoing pattern of work and do not the experience the unexpected income shock from a sudden and unexpected loss of employment.

Teachers who are out of contract during the summer months can continue to claim the PRSI-based insurance Jobseeker's Benefit or the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance. There is no change to the income supports to which such persons are entitled.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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1831. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the hours that can be worked while on carer's allowance could be increased to 19.5; if exceptions can be made to allow people on carer's allowance to work on a CE scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42407/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for people living in Ireland who are looking after someone who needs support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. The primary objective of the Carer’s Allowance payment is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced as a consequence of their caring responsibilities

A primary qualifying condition for the Carer’s Allowance payment is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention to a person in need of such care. The person being cared for must be so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention and be likely to require this full-time care and attention for at least 12 months.

A carer is regarded as providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person, where the number of hours providing such care is not less than 35 hours in a period of seven consecutive days, and care is provided on any five days, whether consecutive or not, within a period of seven consecutive days.

While carer income support payments are premised on the provision of full-time care and attention, they also provide flexibility in terms of allowing carers to engage in work, training or education for up to 18.5 hours per week. In effect, a carer can engage in these activities for half of a full-time working week. During this time, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.

Both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5-hour limitation are contained in the respective legislative provisions of the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Support Grant schemes.

The objectives of the Community Employment Programme are inconsistent with the requirements of the Carer's Allowance scheme. The Community Employment programme is an active labour market programme. Its purpose is to help people who are long-term unemployed, or otherwise disadvantaged, to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities. Participants can take up other part-time work during their Community Employment placement and are encouraged to seek permanent employment after their placement ends. Participants must work for 19.5 hours per week.

A person may progress from Carer's Allowance to Community Employment. The time spent on Carer’s Allowance can count towards the eligibility period, however a person’s caring responsibilities must have ceased.

The 18.5-hour limitation for Carer’s Allowance represents a reasonable balance between meeting the requirement for providing full-time care for the care recipient and the needs of the carer to engage in education, training or employment, supporting a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and broader social inclusion.

Any proposals for changes to this condition would need to maintain this balance, and any changes to the eligibility criteria for either scheme would have to be considered within a wider budgetary and policy context.