Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Oct 1992

Vol. 423 No. 8

Written Answers. - Employment Subsidy Scheme.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

226 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Labour if he has any plans to alter the Employment Subsidy Scheme to allow participation by persons on the Live Register for less than eight weeks in view of cases such as that of a person (details supplied) in County Galway who was accepted by an employer under the Employment Subsidy Scheme but, because of the fact that he had been in receipt of seven weeks unemployment assistance, and despite the fact that he offered to sign on the dole for another week, was denied access to the scheme.

Minister for Labour (Mr. Cowen)

The Employment Subsidy Scheme is designed to encourage the creation by employers of additional jobs and to help achieve a reduction of the numbers on the Live Register.

Prospective employees must have been on the Live Register for a period of eight weeks immediately preceding recruitment or they may be recruited immediately after completing an appropriate FAS, CERT or other approved full time programme provided they had been on the Live Register for eight weeks immediately preceding participation on the programme. Persons in receipt of a Disabled Persons Maintenance Allowance are also eligible.

These conditions which were agreed following discussions with the European Commission and the Social Partners reflect the focus of the scheme and I have no plans to alter them.