The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty TD, has announced that she is updating and changing regulations regarding employment rights and earnings for workers with subsidiary employment – this includes those with seasonal, casual and part-time employment.
The new regulation, which will take effect on tomorrow, 1st January 2019 will allow workers with subsidiary seasonal and casual employment to earn €7,500 a year without it impacting on their rights to Jobseeker’s Benefit.
Minister Doherty said “I have decided to change the regulations around Jobseeker’s Benefit for workers with subsidiary employment to provide a fairer and more flexible system for people who want to work.
The current rate of €12.70 a day for subsidiary work for people who take on such short term employment was last set in 1991. The new rate takes into account price inflation and will allow workers to earn up to €7,500 over a 12 month period or €144 on a weekly basis.
Welcoming the changes to the regulations, North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea said “these changes will be of enormous benefit for the people of North Cork. In parts of rural and remote communities, the only work available for some may be seasonal – whether in agriculture, fishing or tourism – and it is only right that the Government updates its supports to allow such workers continue in employment and to sustain seasonal industries.”
