Trevor Sargent
Question:75 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason natives of other EC countries now living in Ireland can only claim unemployment assistance for a maximum of six weeks.
Written Answers. - Unemployment Assistance Regulations.
All applicants for unemployment payments are required to show that they are able to satisfy the statutory conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work. With the exception of citizens of the UK, with whom Ireland has long-standing reciprocal arrangements, non-nationals, including citizens of European Union member states, are required to register with the registration officer, Garda, of the Department of Justice. Deciding officers of the Department of Social Welfare take the view that unless a non-national has been granted registration by the Department of Justice and is legally resident in Ireland they cannot be considered to be freely available for employment in Ireland.
Non-nationals are required to register with the registration officer, Garda, within three months of their arrival in Ireland. Accordingly, unemployment assistance may be payable for up to three months following arrival in Ireland if the other statutory conditions are satisfied.