70. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons claiming job-seekers allowance who are new to Ireland and have never worked in Ireland prior to claiming the allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67175/26]

To qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance, a person must satisfy a number of statutory conditions, including a means test, being available for and genuinely seeking full-time work, and satisfying the Habitual Residence Condition.

The Habitual Residence Condition, which applies to all applicants regardless of nationality, helps ensure that social assistance payments are directed to persons who have established a sufficient connection with the State.  To satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition, a person must have a right to reside in the State and demonstrate that they are habitually resident here.  In determining whether this condition is satisfied, a Deciding Officer considers the individual circumstances of each applicant, including factors set out in legislation such as their residence history, employment history, centre of interest and future intentions.

While information relating to a person's residence history and employment history may be considered in determining entitlement to a payment, these details are assessed on an individual basis in determining whether the Habitual Residence Condition is satisfied, and are not compiled for statistical reporting purposes.  Accordingly, it is not possible to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy.

I can assure the Deputy that all applicants for Jobseeker's Allowance, regardless of nationality, must satisfy the statutory qualifying conditions for the scheme.  The Habitual Residence Condition is an important safeguard within the social assistance system, ensuring that applicants have established a real and continuous connection with the State before entitlement to payment can be awarded.