I am aware of the CSO figures on regional income and unemployment rates. This Department's role is to mainly to provide income support to people who qualify for social welfare payments. The value of the lowest rate of welfare payment was fully maintained in Budget 2009 and now stands at €204.30 per week following an increase of €6.50 per week or over 3%. In the last six Budgets, the value of the lowest rate of payment has increased by a cumulative €79.50 per week or 64%. By any standards, the levels of increases in welfare payments generally over the period since 2003 have been substantial and are a demonstration of our continuing commitment to all those who are less well off.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs provides a range of supports to assist unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed, lone parents, and sickness related welfare recipients, to return to the active labour market either by taking up employment or becoming self-employed. The main welfare to work measure for the unemployed is the National Employment Action Plan (EAP). Under the EAP, people who are approaching 3 months on the Live Register are identified by the Department and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to job placement or an offer of training.
Other supports include the operation of the back to education and back to work allowance schemes, the technical assistance and training grants and the PRSI exemption scheme. The activation and family services programme and the second chance education opportunities scheme also offer supports to social welfare recipients and disadvantaged persons to assist them to improve their employability and personal and family situations.
The Department's facilitator network works with social welfare recipients to identify appropriate training or development programmes which will enhance the skills that individuals have and ultimately improve their employment chances as well as help them continue to develop personally. Facilitators are working closely with FÁS and other agencies at national and local level to identify and target appropriate education, training and development opportunities. The facilitator programme is designed to be a targeted approach, involving active case management and the development of an individualised progression plan. Twenty additional facilitators have recently been appointed under the Social and Economic Participation Programme provided for under the National Development Plan 2007-13. This brings the total in place to 60.
As part of the programme, three additional facilitator posts have been allocated to the south east region, bringing the total number of posts in that region to nine. These officers, located in counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Kildare and Wicklow, work directly with those on Social Welfare in order to determine their needs. They arrange, through direct provision or jointly with other agencies, appropriate training and developmental programmes to equip them to progress to employment, enhance their parenting skills or improve their life opportunities. The enhanced facilitation service will build on the Department's existing experience and income maintenance relationship with the people concerned, in co-operation with other relevant service providers such as FÁS, VECs, HSE and other local agencies.