It is important in the interests of equity and fairness that the conditions for receipt of a jobseeker's payment apply to all recipients, including those who could be categorised as seasonal and part-time workers. Where a person exhausts his or her entitlement to jobseeker's benefit, he or she must pay 13 additional PRSI contributions after the last day of payment in order to re-qualify. The 13 contributions needed to re-qualify for jobseeker's benefit can be paid in respect of full time employment, seasonal employment, part-time employment or casual employment. If a seasonal or a part time worker meets this requirement they may re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit. This requirement is in place to ensure the person has a reasonable connection with the labour market before he or she can re-qualify for payment. If a person does not re-qualify for jobseeker’s benefit or has used up his or her entitlement to jobseeker's benefit, then he or she may qualify for jobseeker's allowance, subject to the means test and other conditions.
The current days based system can also provide significant income supports to jobseeker's who are part-time workers or casually employed. For instance an individual can earn a little over €20,190 per year and still retain a small jobseeker's allowance payment, while the equivalent threshold for an individual with a qualified adult is almost €34,700 if they are both working.
I intend to submit the report on jobseeker's benefit duration and the treatment of seasonal and part-time workers to the Joint Oireachtas Committee shortly. This report will be published subsequently. The report may inform any changes considered in the context of Budget 2019 subject to the overall budgetary context.
