I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 to 114, inclusive, together.
Legislation provides that sanctions/penalties in the form of reduced payments may be imposed by a Deciding Officer where recipients of jobseeker payments fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures. Activation measures include the requirement to attend group or individual meetings, and/or avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities, or specified employment programmes, which are considered appropriate to a person’s circumstances.
Persons, irrespective of age, in receipt of a weekly personal rate of €188 jobseeker’s allowance have this rate reduced initially to €144.
Persons, irrespective of age, in receipt of a weekly personal rate of €144 jobseeker’s allowance have this rate reduced to €111.
Persons, irrespective of age, in receipt of a weekly personal rate of €100 jobseeker’s allowance have this rate reduced to €75.
If a person continues to fail, without good cause, to comply with activation measures, while on a penalty rate, he/she may be disqualified from receiving the personal rate of payment. The normal rate of payment may be reinstated at any time, if the jobseeker complies, as requested, with activation measures.