Vol. 511 No. 1
65 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on whether, in the context of the Social Welfare No. 50 information leaflet, students on the summer job scheme have the option to take on additional work. [23625/99]
The students summer jobs scheme was introduced in 1993 to provide income support for less well-off students who are unable to get summer jobs and who are debarred from claiming unemployment assistance during the summer holiday period. In my reply to Deputy Broughan on 2 June last I referred to the issue of additional work for students availing of the scheme. My intention was to convey the fact that students can undertake additional work after they have completed their period on the student's scheme. Many students do in fact take on summer jobs after they have finished on the scheme.
The focus of the scheme has always been on students who cannot find summer work. The wider availability of summer jobs in recent years has meant a lower level of recourse to the scheme. This year some 9,200 students participated in the scheme, a 33% reduction on the 1998 figure.
