Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2026
274. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will share any research, evaluation, or administrative analysis undertaken by his Department to assess the social, economic, or behavioural impacts of penalty rate reductions or sanctions on jobseeker recipients; if no, such analysis has been conducted to confirm this explicitly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27377/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobseeker payments have eligibility conditions that include being capable of work and genuinely seeking work. Once claiming for a jobseeker payment, employment services staff agree a Personal Progression Plan with the claimant. The plan can identify training and job search goals.
Intreo employment services provide a range of supports to assist young jobseekers in finding and sustaining quality employment. These include training grants, work placements, employment schemes and JobsIreland, an online vacancy platform where jobseekers can upload their CV. People in receipt of a jobseeker payment are expected to fully engage and use the supports offered.
Reduced rates were introduced in 2011 as a means of encouraging jobseekers to cooperate with efforts of the Department to assist them in securing employment. 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. A reduced rate is a final step in a process to encourage a jobseeker to avail of the employment supports on offer and once a jobseeker resumes engagement the reduced rate is lifted immediately.
The weekly reduced rates applied for jobseekers Allowance and Jobseekers Benefit is €90 since January 2025 and €50 for those aged under 25 and in receipt of a reduced age-related Jobseekers Allowance. The reduced rate for customers in receipt of Jobseekers Pay Related Benefit which was introduced at the end of March 2025 is set at 20% of their weekly payment. In 2025, over 11,000 reduced rates were applied.
The OECD published an impact evaluation of Ireland’s active labour market programmes for long-term unemployed people. The publication, ‘Impact evaluation of Ireland’s Active Labour Market Policies’ was launched on 13th March 2024.
The evaluation was carried out by the OECD in partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and staff from my Department. It found positive labour market impacts for both the Community Employment and Tús programmes. The report noted that the introduction on a legislative basis of reduced rates provided clearer guidelines on sanctionable offences and penalties for non-compliance. It also noted that compliance strictness has reduced over time, and Ireland is among the least strict OECD countries in terms of activation compliance. The main findings of the impact evaluation demonstrated CE and Tús having a positive impact on employment and the earnings of scheme participants in the longer term.
