Vol. 505 No. 6
56 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason men in receipt of survivor's pension cannot apply for a FÁS scheme and those in receipt of lone parent's allowance can; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14260/99]
64 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will ensure that all FÁS training courses, schemes and initiatives are made available to those on a widow's pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14512/99]
I propose to take Question Nos. 56 and 64 together.
Every person seeking a job can access the employment service either through FÁS, which has a countrywide presence, or the local employment service, which operates in 25 areas of designated disadvantage.
With regard to training, priority access is accorded to persons who are long-term unemployed or socially excluded. Systematic referrals to training are also taking place on foot of the implementation of the Employment Action Plan. Beyond these priority categories, persons in receipt of widows or widowers pension can access training courses on the same basis as anyone else.
FÁS also operate return to work courses for persons who have spent time out of the labour force working in the home.
Employment programmes such as community employment are targeted at the most marginalised of the unemployed and disadvantaged: those whose principal or only source of income is an unemployment compensation payment or certain other means tested social welfare payments. This targeting helps maximise the availability of places by part financing the programme from savings in social welfare payments. Widowed persons in receipt of a means tested payment are eligible to participate in community employment.
In principle, a person in receipt of a non means tested survivors contributory pension can instead opt for payment of a social assistance payment such as one-parent family payment or unemployment assistance and thus establish eligibility to participate in community employment or other employment programme. However, as a general rule the long-term balance of advantage lies in retaining pension entitlement.
