Vol. 513 No. 1
362 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Finance the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork is being refused a special tax free allowance for persons returning to work after more than three years unemployment in view of the fact that there should be a special £7,000 revenue job assist allowance. [1760/00]
The revenue job assist scheme was introduced in April 1998 to complement the wide range of schemes already available to assist the long-term unemployed back into employment. The scheme is a focused two-part initiative that gives employers an incentive to employ a long-term unemployed person as opposed to someone else in the labour market. Under the terms of the scheme the long-term unemployed person also qualifies for a special tax allowance over a three year period.
However, the revenue job assist allowance does not apply to jobs which are already grant aided by other agencies statutory, or otherwise, or which are supported under existing employment schemes such as the back to work allowance scheme, administered by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, or Jobstart administered by FÁS.
On 27 October 1999, the person concerned made an application for the revenue job assist allowance on commencing employment. In the form, he indicated that he had previously been in receipt of unemployment assistance and was now in receipt of a back to work allowance of £47.30 per week, both of which are paid to him by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. His claim was refused on the grounds that he is already benefiting under an employment scheme in respect of the particular job which he took up.
