Vol. 456 No. 4
29 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Welfare if students participating in the students summer jobs scheme whose parents are in receipt of small holders' unemployment assistance are entitled to the additional payment of £1 per hour worked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13026/95]
The response to this year's students summer jobs scheme was very positive with just under 23,000 applications received, of which 18,900 students were approved to participate. At this stage, it is estimated that about 15,000 students worked under the scheme. The final figure will not be known until all the sponsors have submitted claims to my Department for the recoupment of amounts paid to the students who worked under the scheme.
To focus the scheme on those least well off students, one of the improvements I introduced to this year's scheme was that students living at home, whose parents are totally dependent on social welfare payments, would, for the first time, receive an additional £1 per hour worked. It is estimated that about 3,300 students will be entitled to this payment, which will be issued to the students by my Department in the next forthnight. As smallholders in receipt of unemployment assistance derive income from their holdings they cannot be considered to meet the condition of being totally dependent on social welfare payments. Students whose parents are smallholders therefore do not qualify for the special bonus payment. This position applies also to all others who have an income other than social welfare payments including the self-employed, part-time workers, parents in receipt of FIS etc.
