Vol. 421 No. 1
1 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has satisfied himself with the social welfare system which prevents an unemployed person in receipt of unemployment benefit from receiving such benefit while attending a ten-week language course after which a job would be offered; his views on whether the availability for work regulation in such cases is an impediment to job creation; and the plans, if any, he has to change this outdated system.
Under social welfare legislation a person must be available for, genuinely seeking and capable of work in order to be eligible for receipt of an unemployment payment. Prior to 1986, persons attending courses of education did not generally satisfy the availability condition.
In recent years considerable flexibility has been introduced into the system in order to encourage unemployed persons to take advantage of educational opportunities with a view to their return to the labour market. The vocational training opportunities scheme now operates in 53 centres nationwide with almost 900 persons participating. While on the scheme the person is paid an allowance equivalent to his or her unemployment payment. Persons may also attend other second level type courses without infringing the availability for work condition. In addition, a pilot scheme exists which allows unemployed people to pursue courses at third level while participation in part-time courses is also encouraged by my Department.
The entire issue of providing encouragement to unemployed people to take up courses of education and training is being reviewed in the context of the area-based response to long term unemployment which is currently being piloted in 12 areas throughout the country under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.
It is important to ensure that the unemployment payments schemes do not become a form of additional subsidy for people undertaking courses of education generally. I am anxious, however, that every facility be afforded to genuinely unemployed people, and particularly the long term unemployed, to improve their situation and to avail of opportunities to get back into gainful employment. The question as to what further incentives might be provided in the area of education courses will be considered in the light of the outcome of the schemes already in operation. The prospects of, and success rate in, obtaining employment arising from the course of education in question will be one of the factors to be taken into account in this context.
The reason I tabled this question is that I want to illustrate how a young man was deprived of a job. Having being made redundant he was in receipt of unemployment benefit but was guaranteed a job provided he attended a ten weeks' language course. He asked the Department to transfer his unemployment benefit payments from Galway to Dublin and was told that not alone could this not be done but because he would not be available for work while attending the ten weeks course he would not be entitled to receive his payments. All I can say to the Minister is that his answer reads very hollow for people like him. He was not in a position to pay for digs in Dublin and meet the cost of the course at the same time. If there was flexibility in the system he would now be working and would not needlessly have to draw unemployment benefit for another year and a quarter in Galway at the tax-payers' expense. May I ask the Minister——
We should not forget to proceed by way of questions.
Can the Minister give me an undertaking that those people who are in a position to obtain work will not be impeded by the Department?
As I said in my reply, since 1986 considerable flexibility has been introduced into the system in relation to educational opportunities. Prior to that date there was little or no flexibility but since 1986 people have been allowed to take part in full-time and part-time education courses. The schemes will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. I am not aware of the case to which the Deputy referred but if he gives me the details I will have the case reinvestigated. In general, we have learned from our experience of the schemes that we have operated since 1986. The schemes are reviewed each year with a view to introducing greater flexibility into the system. As I said, I will have the case to which the Deputy referred reinvestigated if he gives me the details.
A succession of Ministers for Social Welfare have said that something would be done about this matter. Given that there are nearly 300,000 people unemployed it is strange that nobody can do anything about it. There are hundreds, if not thousands of cases like this one.
