asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly whereby FÁS are displaying advertisements in social welfare offices inviting persons to apply for jobs in Britain but that if people travel to Britain for interview they lose unemployment payments for the days on which they are out of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - FÁS Advertisements.
14.
FÁS do not in fact display advertisements inviting persons to apply for jobs in Britain. I assume what the Deputy is referring to is a FÁS poster on display at local offices of my Department which draws attention to advice available in FÁS offices to persons planning to go abroad.
In order to qualify for payment of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance a claimant must satisfy the statutory condition which requires him or her to be available for and genuinely seeking work.
EC Regulations 1408/71 for migrant workers allow for the payment of unemployment benefit for up to three months to recipients who travel to another member state to seek employment. The procedure in such cases is that the claimant registers as unemployed in whichever country he or she goes to and arrangements are then made to transfer the benefit from this country. Where a person is absent for only a few days it would not make practical sense to apply the EC Regulations. The regulations do not apply to unemployment assistance.
Where a person goes to Britain for a few days to attend for job interview obviously such person would continue to satisfy the conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. However, in such cases it would be necessary for the person on his or her return to supply evidence that he or she had in fact attended a job interview.
If the Deputy has any particular persons in mind he feels were unfavourably treated in this respect I would be glad if he would supply their names and I will have them investigated.