Vol. 543 No. 3
28 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the total number of students who participated in the student summer jobs scheme in 2001 and in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26879/01]
A total of 13,600 students participated in the student summer jobs scheme in 1998, 9,200 participated in 1999 and 5,902 took part in last year's scheme. A total of 6,081 students were approved to participate in this year's scheme and to date sponsors have claimed reimbursement for 4,490 participating students. The primary and underlying purpose of the scheme since its inception in 1993 has been to provide useful work experience and income support for less well-off third level students who do not have access to unemployment payments during the summer. As the above figures indicate, however, interest in the scheme has been declining over the last few years due to the buoyancy of the labour market and the wider availability of summer work. This is an encouraging trend and it is obviously better for students to obtain work in the open market than to have to rely on support from the State.
This year I decided to pay an extra £1, or 1.27, per hour to those students who come from households dependent on social welfare payments, providing for a maximum payment of £800, or 1,015.79, for 200 hours of work. It is estimated that over 800 students will have benefited from this when all claims for reimbursement have been processed. In addition, approved students who are in receipt of disability allowance or blind person's pension were eligible to participate in the scheme this year.
