Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2013
442. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection if the application for a place on a momentum course by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 will be reconsidered, taking into account that they have been unemployed since December 2010, apart from March to October 2012, when they received illness benefit, and in view of the fact that their eligibility would not be in doubt if they had not been sick for several months [5436/13]
View answerTo qualify for the Momentum scheme, a customer must
- Be unemployed and on the Live Register for 12 months (312days) or longer, and
- Be in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance/Benefit or credited contributions for 12 months or longer, and
- Be actively seeking work.
Periods spent on JobBridge, Back to Education Allowance, VTOS, full time FÁS/Fáilte Ireland Training courses, Youthreach, Community Employment Schemes, Tús, the Rural Social Scheme, Back to Work Scheme, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Job Initiative or Job Assist may count towards meeting the eligibility for MOMENTUM, provided the customer has completed the Scheme/Programme in question and returned to the Live Register. It should be noted, however, that such customers - having had the benefit of an intervention – would not necessarily be prioritised for referral to Momentum.
In order to satisfy the qualifying period of 312 days, consideration and approval may be given to a customer who meets the 312 days condition on JA/JB out of the previous 18 months at the start date of the course.
The person in question will not meet the qualification criteria for the Momentum scheme due the period he spent on Illness Benefit.
