Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
771. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the numbers in 2025 in receipt of unemployment assistance who refused or failed to attend meetings relating to employment or training, or refused training courses; the actions that were taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35318/26]
View answerA Jobseeker payment is conditional on the recipient being available for, capable of and genuinely seeking work. This reflects the concept of ‘rights and responsibilities’ whereby people who are unemployed have the right to an income support from the State and a right to be supported in their efforts to secure employment, but also have a responsibility to seek employment and to engage with the employment services offered by the State.
Intreo Employment Services supports jobseekers to find work and there are a wide range of supports on offer in terms of further education, training, upskilling, work placements as well as programmes such as Community Employment and TUS.
Jobseekers who do not engage with the Intreo Employment Service or who fail to participate in appropriate employment interventions can have their jobseeker’s payment reduced and subsequently be disqualified from their payment for up to 9 weeks. They may also have their entitlement to a Jobseekers payment reviewed based on a failure to genuinely seek work. Once a jobseeker resumes this engagement the reduced rate is lifted immediately. Whether a reduced rate applies, and the duration of its application is totally within the control of the claimant.
The weekly reduced rates applied for Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit is €90 since January 2025 and €50 for those aged under 25 and in receipt of a reduced age-related Jobseeker's Allowance. The reduced rate for customers in receipt of Jobseeker's Pay Related Benefit, which was introduced at the end of March 2025 is set at 20% of their weekly payment. There were 11,082 reduced rates applied to customer’s jobseeker payments in 2025.
Most customers in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment who do not attend an initial appointment subsequently engage with the Department and attend a later appointment. As a result, sanctions are not required in the majority of such cases, as customers are afforded every reasonable opportunity to attend before any reduction or suspension of payment is considered.
It is not possible to provide a specific breakdown of customers who did not attend an appointment, nor of those who did not attend or who refused a training or employment opportunity.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
