Richard Bruton
Question:265 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the number of people who have claimed the new tax free allowance for persons who have been unemployed for over 12 months. [4796/99]
Written Answers. - Tax Allowances.
The Revenue job assist scheme is a new initiative introduced by me in the Finance Act, 1998 to assist the long-term unemployed back to work. This tax initiative gives the long-term unemployed an incentive to take up employment and gives potential employers an incentive to employ a long-term unemployed person as opposed to someone else in the labour market.
I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, on the basis of statistics prepared up to 19 February 1999, the take up in the job assist scheme was 1,066 cases.