Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty to act immediately on behalf of seasonal and part-time workers to make the necessary changes to entitle them to avail of jobseekers benefit when their seasonal work ends.
The changes which are required in order to restore these workers entitlements and benefits must be included in the yet to be published Social Protection Bill 2019.
If this isn’t done, no changes will be made to their entitlements and the seasonal workers will be once more ignored by this Government.
Deputy Gallagher said “I am calling on the Minister to implement the necessary changes and reintroduce the social welfare entitlements for the thousands of seasonal and part-time workers who are unable to obtain jobseekers benefit when their seasonal work ends.
“Traditionally, seasonal and part-time workers always had an entitlement to jobseekers benefit once their seasonal work ceased but due to changes this is no longer the case.”
He added that the matter of entitlements has been on the Ministers desk since her appointment, previous to her appointment the former Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar undertook a review of the terms and condition covering seasonal workers entitlement to Jobseekers.
Deputy Gallagher added “Unfortunately, no action was taken by the Government either to implement any of these recommendations or attempt to solve the issues affecting these workers.”
The issues affecting the seasonal workers are as follows – At present jobseekers benefit claim lasts 234 days which a claimant must make 13 PRSI contributions in order to qualify.
Due to the changes made in 2011/2012; any PRSI contribution made in the first 156 days of a claim does not count towards the following claim. Due to the nature of our work, a worker could make 20-25 PRSI contributions in first 156-day period and we may not be able to provide work during the last 78 day period for the workers, thus disqualifying them accessing their jobseekers benefits despite having made the required PRSI contribution.
Pat the Cope added “The failures of successive Ministers to either understand or correct the negative impact that the changes they made to Jobseekers in 2011/2012 is inexcusable and cannot be defended. The changes made in 2011 were wrong and completely discriminate against seasonal and part-time workers added Pat the Cope.
“If any solutions are to be made or changes introduced for the year ahead then Minister Doherty must include them in the publication of the 2019 Social Protection Bill, which I understand will be published next week by the Government.
“I am calling on the Minister to take action and implement the necessary changes in order to correct this anomaly for seasonal and part-time workers, as of present the situation they find themselves in due to changes introduced by a previous government are leading to financial hardship and total discrimination against those that are employed on a seasonal and part-time basis.”
