Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:221 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of workers in receipt of unemployment assistance who have been assessed as being with means from casual labour. [19817/96]
Written Answers. - Unemployment Statistics.
It is estimated that out of some 27,500 casual workers on the live register, 12,600 are in receipt of unemployment assistance. Such persons can qualify for unemployment assistance for days not worked subject to the means test which takes account of their earnings from casual employment. Under the present method of assessment, a person is entitled to earn a sum equal to his-her daily rate of unemployment assistance plus £15 for each day worked without affecting his-her means.
No definitive figures are available on the number of such workers who are assessed solely with means from insurable employment. However, it is estimated that approximately 4,400 casual employees have means from various sources assessed against them for unemployment assistance purposes.
I will shortly be announcing changes to the method of assessing earnings from insurable employment in order to give people a greater incentive to take up casual and part-time employment. The new provisions simplify the method of assessment and will enable a person contemplating casual or part-time work to more readily determine its effect on his-her unemployment assistance.