Michael Creed
Question:318 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the schemes which his Department offers to encourage long-term unemployed persons to return to work. [30531/01]
Written Answers. - Employment Support Measures.
My Department's employment support services offers a number of options which are designed to assist and encourage long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education. The first of these is the back to work allowance scheme which encourages long-term unemployed people, lone parents and certain persons with disabilities to return to work by allowing them to retain part of their social welfare payment when they take up employment or self-employment.
Last year I introduced an enhanced version of this scheme specifically targeted at persons who had been five years or more on the live register. Persons participating in this can avail of a six week training period either on or off the job and during this period receive a top up of £35 a week in addition to their weekly unemployment payment. An additional incentive is the payment of a £200 bonus on taking up employment and a further payment of £200 on completion of six months work. The back to work allowance scheme has been highly successful since its introduction and to date almost 78,000 people, the vast majority of whom were previously long-term unemployed, have taken part in the scheme. Currently there are 32,700 participants in the scheme, approximately half of whom are engaged in a wide range of self employment options.
My Department also administers the back to education allowance programme. This is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities to improve their skills and qualifications with a view to returning to the work force. Courses covered under the scheme range from second level through to third level postgraduate courses of study. However, in cases where a person's choice of course falls outside the realm of formal second and third level courses for which the allowance is payable, he or she can avail of approved courses of education, training and development. Participants on these courses may continue to receive their social welfare payments for the duration of the course.
Another key support option is provided through the Department's locally based jobs facilitators. Their primary role is to assist the long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare dependants back to work, training or further education by providing them with assistance on an individual basis to access the necessary programmes or supports which their circumstances demand. My Department's employment support services have been very successful to date in assisting people away from the cycle of long-term unemployment and back into the workforce. The services provided are constantly reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they continue to be relevant in the current labour market.