While primary responsibility for job creation rests with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, my Department has a role in supporting people from welfare to work.
The Department operates a range of activation programmes and second chance education opportunities which assist unemployed people, and other social welfare recipients to improve their employability and personal and family situations. My Department will also, under the new role it has been given, including responsibility for the employment services of FÁS and schemes such as the Community Employment and Rural Social Schemes, be much more directly involved in providing new opportunities to those who do not get full time employment.
In addition, my Department, together with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS supports the unemployed under a number of new measures. These include the Work Placement programme, the Short Time Work Training programme, the Back to College Initiative and the redundant apprentice programme.