asked the Minister for Labour if he will amend the FÁS regulations which require that a person must be in receipt of unemployment assistance to qualify for a social employment scheme placement, as this penalises people who are on the live register, but whose means assessment deprives them of payment, as this, in effect, is operating as a means test for social employment scheme placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Amendment of FÁS Regulations.
12.
The objective of the Social Employment Scheme is to offer the maximum number of part time employment opportunities as an alternative to those on the live register in receipt of unemployment assistance.
The Exchequer has not got the resources to allow for the payment of grants in respect of persons where there would not be off-setting savings in social welfare payments.
Surely the Minister must accept that the scheme, at the moment, is operating as a means test for a social employment scheme and that there are situations where a son or a daughter living at home may be on the live register for some considerable time but because they are living at home they do not get unemployment assistance payments, and that the same can happen in relation to a husband or a wife who may be means tested out of the system and that this is a discrimination against people who are available and anxious to participate?
It was decided to use social welfare criteria when the social employment scheme was set up. The reason for that was that the live register and classification system could identify those in need of income support and employment opportunities. It was accepted at the time that a requirement of eligibility was that the person should be in receipt of unemployment assistance which represented the most appropriate test of the need to replace lost income and regain employment. A person must be unemployed for over a year, be in receipt of a social welfare payment such as unemployment assistance or be in receipt of a combination of unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit or disability benefit or be in attendance at a recognised training course. It is regrettable that some people who are unemployed but receiving no benefit are excluded because of the cost factor.
Has the Minister any figures on how many people might be excluded on this basis, and on the consequent cost of extending it to those who are not in receipt of assistance but who are available and on the live register?
I do not have those figures.
With regard to the analogous situation that faces smallholders, has the Minister been able to make any progress since the last Question Time in clarifying their entitlement?
I have resolved it.
I hope so, because I have a further letter from my colleague Deputy Paul Connaughton which casts some doubt on it. I will show this letter to the Minister later.
In justice is being done to a number of people. Will the Minister consider finding out exactly how many are being excluded and adjusting the regulations so as to include them? Perhaps the Minister might correspond with me about this matter and let me know what he comes up with?
Of course. I do not think that we will reach the question relating to the small holders but I gave an undertaking to Deputy Connaughton and others that I would resolve that problem and we have issued a directive in that regard.