Vol. 540 No. 1
384 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the protocols which exist between his Department and the local employment service to ensure that persons engaging with the LES service are not subjected to overbearing scrutiny regarding the job search activity of the client; and his views on a complaint (details supplied). [19966/01]
Social Welfare legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance.
In applying the legislation, the deciding officer will have regard to the availability of job vacancies in the locality and a claimant to unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance would be expected to take advantage of the range of labour market opportunities which exist in the present economic climate. Claimants are expected to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to secure employment and to provide examples of such steps. Each case is decided on its own merits within the framework of the relevant legislation.
Where a person is seeking work in his or her usual employment and there is a reasonable prospect of securing work of that nature, he or she would normally satisfy the conditions for receipt of payment. However, if there is no employment available within a specialised field within a reasonable period of time, the unemployed person would be expected to broaden his or her search so as to include other types of employment.
After a period of unemployment, a person would be expected to accept any employment for which he or she is qualified. Where a person is dissatisfied with a decision made by a deciding officer he or she may appeal this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
My Department has a close working relationship with the local employment services and unemployed people are referred to the service on an on-going basis. No undue pressure is brought to bear on the customers of the LES. They are however expected to comply with the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work when applying for unemployment payments.
