Vol. 473 No. 3
170 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the impediments to women who fail to qualify for the live register and, as a consequence, are ineligible for participation in various schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24933/96]
The live register includes people claiming unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance and people entitled to sign for credited contributions. Any unemployed person, whether male or female, who is capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work is entitled to make a claim for unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance. In order to qualify for payment, the person must also satisfy contribution conditions in the case of unemployment benefit or a means test in the case of unemployment assistance. People may also maintain their record of PRSI contributions by signing on for credited contributions provided they have had a recent record of paid contributions.
The various employment and training schemes operated by my Department, including the back to work allowance scheme, the third level allowance scheme and the second-chance education schemes are specifically targeted at people on the live register.
The majority of training schemes aimed at unemployed people are administered by FÁS and the relevant qualifying criteria are a matter for that agency and for the Department of Enterprise and Employment.
I have invited representatives from the National Women's Council and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and the social partners to participate in a working group with officials of my Department and the Department of Enterprise and Employment to examine the underlying issues that need to be discussed and make recommedations to Government.
My Department has also prepared a special fact sheet entitled "Signing on the Live Register" which outlines how to access unemployment entitlements and answers the key questions in relation to schemes, training courses, educational schemes and the live register.
