Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 February 2013
148. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 350 of 11 January 2012, if there are any further updates in relation to this matter; if the departmental group has finalised its examination of the unique position of retained fire fighters and their social protection payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10833/13]
View answerPart-time fire-fighters are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. In this respect, Deciding Officers do not treat them differently to any other jobseeker’s benefit or allowance claimant.
The introduction of special arrangements exempting them from the requirement to fulfil the statutory conditions for entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit or allowance would raise equity issues vis-a-vis other claimants to jobseeker’s payments. However, taking account of the unusual circumstances of these workers and general efforts to develop and standardise our jobseeker schemes, a group was established in the Department to examine the position of part-time fire-fighters.
Internal deliberations on this issue are still on-going. Further discussions with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government are also planned. I anticipate that my officials will be in touch with relevant deputies in the near future in this regard.
