Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 1

Written Answers. - Employment Schemes.

Liam Fitzgerald

Question:

44 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if, in view of the inequality of the conditions for eligibility, he will immediately remove the prohibition and injustice whereby persons who are not on the live register are ineligible to participate on community employment schemes and on job initiative schemes which are community based, in order to enable such persons, some of whom have just recently purchased homes, and who are most anxious to get back into employment in a local community-based way and to obtain places on these schemes, to participate in them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3756/97]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

Both the community employment (CE) and the pilot job initiative programmes are targeted at a particular severely disadvantaged group of unemployed people, i.e. those registered long-term unemployed whose principal or only source of income is a social welfare payment. Limited resources, unfortunately, do not make it possible to provide CE and the job initiative for all unemployed people. It is necessary, therefore, to target them at those most in need. The eligibility criteria for both programmes are in my view a fair, objective and cost effective way of achieveing that target.

CE consists of two distinct options — the integration option and the part-time job option. Both men and women (married or single) who fulfil any of the following eligibility criteria can participate on CE:

Part-Time Integration Option

—Those aged 21 years or over and on unemployment benefit (UB), unemployment assistance (UA) or one parent family payment (OPFP) for at least twelve months.

—Special categories such as those referred by the NRB, or travellers on the live register, or on one parent family payment (OPFP) for at least twelve months.

Part-Time Job Option

—Those aged 35 years or over and in receipt of unemployment assistance (UA), unemployment benefit (UB) or one parent family payment (OPFP) for three years or longer.

—Special categories such as those referred by the NRB who are aged 35 or over, or travellers who are on the live register or on one parent family payment (OPFP) for at least 12 months.

In addition, married unemployed people can swop their social welfare entitlement in order to qualify for participation on the programme. In this way, a married person who meets the eligibility criteria can transfer entitlement on his or her spouse, who is unemployed but not on the live register, in order for that person to qualify for participation on CE. Also, persons with children who are in receipt of survivor's contributory pension (SCP) or deserted wife's benefit (DWB) can apply to transfer to one parent family payment (OPFP) in order to become eligible to participate in CE.

The job initiative is a pilot programme and is targeted at people over 35 years of age who are five years or more unemployed and who are living within partnership areas in the cities of Cork, Limerick and Dublin. It is designed to give full-time work for 1,000 such persons. This group is considered to be particularly disadvantaged and to have little chance of obtaining a mainstream job.

Both men and women (married or single) who are living in any of the specified areas and who fulfill any of the following eligible criteria can participate in the job initiative:—

—Those over 35 years of age and in receipt of unemployment assistance (UA), unemployment benefit (UB) or one parent family payment (OPFP) for over five years.

—Special categories such as those referred by the NRB who are over 35 years or travellers who are over 35 years and on the live register or on one parent family payment (OPFP) for at least five years.

In my view the questions of inequality or unconstitutionality do not arise in relation to these eligibility criteria. As I have already explained, the criteria are designed to target a specific highly disadvantaged group of unemployed persons. However, within that group the eligibility criteria do not give rise to any discrimination or inequality since both programmes are open to all persons who meet the criteria — men or women, either married or single.

I might add that the eligibility criteria for CE only came into effect last year following a detailed review of the programme and in response to the recommendations of the task force on long-term unemployed. The job initiative is a pilot three year programme which was launched last summer. I have no plans to review the eligibility criteria for either programme at present. However, I do of course keep all programmes under constant scrutiny in so far as their objectives and effectiveness are concerned.