Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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1335. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if his Department has given consideration to removing the means test on jobseekers payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44820/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment for unemployed people. Among the qualifying conditions for this scheme is that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work.

The use of means tests in the social welfare system is a method of targeting scarce resources to those with an identified financial need. Removal of the means test for Jobseeker’s Allowance, would not only change the nature of the scheme as an income support but would also have significant policy and budgetary implications and reduce the scope for my Department to provide income supports to lower income households.