I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 80 and 104 together.
My Department provides a range of supports to assist and encourage long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education. My Department's primary intervention to assist people on the live register find work, training or further education is the national employment action plan. Under the terms of this plan, people aged 18 to 55 years of age, who are on the live register, are systematically referred to FÁS for guidance, education or training.
In the period from January 2002 to the end of June 2004, a total of 91,324 people were selected for referral to FÁS under this process. Of these, 52,865, or 58%, closed their unemployment claims and left the live register. A total of 18,103 were placed in jobs, FÁS programmes or returned to education, accounting for 20% of those referred. Of these, 10,489 people were placed in jobs, 5,192 were placed in FÁS programmes and 2,422 returned to education or were placed in non-FÁS training courses. In addition, another 14,000 people who were on the live register for more than six months have been referred to FÁS. Some 4,122, or 29%, of these have closed their unemployment claims.
Some people face severe employability issues which are not amenable to resolution within the normal range of interventions available. To assist such people, a high supports process was established in 2003 by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As part of this process, local networks of relevant service providers were established in certain areas in conjunction with FÁS and my Department. People identified as suffering severe employability issues are referred to the local networks and appropriate avenues identified to enhance employability.
Another significant measure is the back to work allowance scheme which incentivises and 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. Currently there are 12,097 participants in the scheme, over half of whom are engaged in a wide range of self-employment options.
A further measure offered by my Department's employment support service is 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 workforce. In the 2003-04 academic year, 7,648 eligible social welfare customers availed of the scheme. A range of other supports is provided by my Department's locally-based 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 on an individual basis with assistance to access the necessary programmes or supports where their circumstances demand. Facilitators have access to additional services and funding to arrange specialised training and supports for those who are distant from the labour market and who need additional help in preparing them for further training and employment. To date this year, 167 projects were supported at a total cost of €2 million.