Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
281. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she is using to ensure that persons in receipt of jobseekers' payments are actively looking for work or training opportunities, or are pursuing training or education. [53884/12]
View answerThe Pathways to Work policy and the establishment of the new integrated National Employment and Entitlement Service (Intreo) service will transform the nature and level of engagement between our employment and income support services and the unemployed. The Pathways to Work approach involves the following:
- More regular and on-going engagement with people who are unemployed through active case management and profiling. There were over 87,000 referrals of unemployed welfare recipients to the employment service in the first eight months of 2012.
- Greater targeting of activation places and opportunities by providing for over 85,000 places on initiatives such as Job Bridge – the National Internship Scheme, Tús, the Rural Social Scheme and the Jobs Initiative.
- Various initiatives to allow those who are out of work to up-skill through the education and training system. The most prominent schemes in this regard are the Back to Education Allowance and the Springboard Initiative. At October 26th 2012, there were 23,747 participants on the Back to Education Allowance scheme, with 91% previously on a jobseekers’ payment. Springboard offers a choice of free courses in higher education from certificate, to degree, to post-graduate level. Sixty-per cent of Springboard participants have been unemployed for more than twelve months and one third of those for more than 24 months. Some 6,000 places are available for this academic year.
- The State is also providing a wide range of vocational training options outside of the mainstream education system that are closely aligned to the needs of the labour market. The Government is prioritising places on training courses for those who have been on the Live Register for 12 months or more.
- Ensuring that each person in receipt of a jobseeker payment fulfils their personal responsibility to engage fully with the employment and training supports provided by the State as a pre-condition for recipe of their welfare payments. The Department will continue to implement its powers to sanction individuals who fail to engage with the ‘Pathways to Work’ approach. The Department will also review the current rules under which sanctions can be applied and will as necessary strengthen these rules through legislation to ensure that individuals must engage with ‘Pathways to Work’.
