Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 3

Written Answers - Vocational and Employment Training Schemes.

Jack Wall

Question:

211 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the position of mothers seeking to sign for credits, which will qualify them to have the right of access to vocational training and entry into employment training schemes; if he will investigate an alternative to permit such applications if the present system is not changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14268/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The primary purpose of social welfare credits is to secure the PRSI entitlements of insured workers, who are temporarily outside the paid workforce for reasons such as unemployment, illness etc., in a manner which is consistent with the continued viability of the social insurance fund. Where a person has no PRSI contributions paid or credited for more than two full contribution years, they are not allowed to claim credits until they return to work and pay PRSI contributions for at least 26 weeks.

In view of the fact that the award of credits can give entitlement to a range of social insurance benefits, provided that a certain number of paid contributions have been made, I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it is necessary to have some limitations on such award. In addition, abolition of the two year limitation would have significant cost implications.

I might add that a separate arrangement exists to protect the long-term social insurance pensions of people – mainly women – who give up paid employment for periods of caring. From 6 April 1994, periods of time spent out of the workforce, including self employment caring either for children aged up to 12 years or incapacitated people are disregarded when calculating a person's pension entitlements. The maximum period which can be disregarded is 20 years. An examination of the homemaker's scheme is being undertaken as part of the review of eligibility conditions for old age contributory pensions and I expect to have a report later this year, which I will examine in a budgetary context.

As regards the labour market situation of women returning to the workforce, in line with a commitment in the last national programme, Partnership 2000, a working group, chaired by my Department, was set up to examine women's access to labour market opportunities. The group included representatives of the main social partners, relevant Departments, State agencies and other interested groups. The group's report was published in April 2000.

On the question of the live register as a gateway to labour market programmes, the group concluded that the best approach did not lie in widening access to the live register itself but rather in the consideration of alternative direct access routes to education, training and employment programmes for the women concerned.

The group also considered that different categories of women had different needs and faced access barriers particular to their individual circumstances. In view of this, the group identified three priority target groups and made specific recommendations with regard to their eligibility to participate in labour market programmes. Category one includes the qualified adults of persons who are eligible to participate in labour market programmes; category two includes spouses in low income households and category three includes returners and entrants to the labour market who have been primarily engaged in domestic and caring duties in the home.

The two principal labour market schemes administered by my Department are the back to work allowance and the back to education allowance. Both of these are available to people in category one above, that is, spouses/partners of people who are eligible to participate in the programmes. The working group did not recommend the extension of the schemes to other categories. Decisions on access to VTOS and employment training schemes are matters for the Minister for Education and Science and the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.