Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998

Vol. 493 No. 3

Written Answers. - Job Initiative.

Nora Owen

Question:

113 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people involved in the whole-time job initiative; the wage paid; the prospects which exist for full-time work after the pilot phase of three years; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that administration and training costs are deducted and housing authorities are increasing the housing rent to participants which makes the taking of a place on the scheme unattractive. [16262/98]

Nora Owen

Question:

128 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of people involved in the whole-time job initiative; the wage paid; the prospects that exists for full time work after the pilot phase of three years; and if her attention has been drawn to the fact that administration and training costs are deducted and housing authorities are increasing the housing rent to participants which makes the taking of a place on the scheme unattractive. [16334/98]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 128 together.

The job initiative is a pilot programme introduced in October 1996 providing full-time work, for three years, for those who are 35 years or over and five years or more unemployed and whose principal or only source of income is a social welfare payment. There are currently just under 1,000 persons on the programme.

The programme is operated by managing agents under the auspices of the relevant local area partnerships. Managing agents are paid a grant of £210 per week by FÁS in respect of each job created under the job initiative. However this grant should not be seen as the wages of job initiative particpants but rather as a contribution towards costs. It is a matter for managing agents to supplement this grant, if they consider it necessary, through other funds they receive from the State or otherwise. The actual wages paid to a job initiative employee, including specific terms and conditions of employment, would be a matter for negotiation between the employee in question and the managing agent and is not a matter in which I have a function.

The purpose of the programme is to provide full-time work for those in disadvantaged areas who have faced major difficulties in assimilating into the open labour market. The objective ultimately would be to see as many as possible of them making that reintegration.

I intend having an evaluation carried out on the job initiative shortly and any decision regarding its future will not be taken until I am in receipt of, and have had time to consider, the evaluation's findings.

As the job initiative is designed to provide full-time work, paying the going rate for the job, job initiative employees, like other employees in mainstream employment, can qualify for family income supplement, FIS, instead of secondary social welfare benefits such as the differential rent scheme.