Tuesday, 29 Jan 2013

Written Answers Nos. 397-416

Disability Allowance Appeals

Questions (397)

Robert Troy

Question:

397. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied). [3983/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the disability allowance claim of the person concerned was disallowed following an assessment by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was registered on 21st November 2012 and in accordance with the statutory procedures the relevant department papers and the comments of the Deciding Officer on the matter raised in the appeal have been sought. In that context, an assessment by another Medical Assessor will be carried out. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.

Question No. 398 answered with Question No. 128.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Applications

Questions (399, 432)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

399. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Donegal receives basic supplementary welfare allowance in view of the fact that they have satisfied the habitual residence condition; and the date on which he will receive payment. [3998/13]

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

432. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Donegal has been refused welfare allowance under the habitual residence condition. [4166/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 432 together.

The habitual residence condition (HRC) applies to all claimants for certain social welfare payments, including supplementary welfare allowance (SWA), regardless of nationality. The SWA scheme is the ‘safety net’ within the overall social welfare system in that it provides a basic income support payment to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the SWA scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes. However, at any time, SWA cannot be viewed as a temporary or interim means of income support available independently of the habitual residence condition. Having regard to all of the circumstances in this case, the person concerned was refused SWA as he did not satisfy the conditions relating to habitual residence. This decision was upheld by the independent Appeals Office.

Exceptional Needs Payment Applications

Questions (400)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

400. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment can issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4004/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

There is no record that the person concerned contacted his local community welfare service office regarding a heating allowance. On foot of this Question, an application form issued to him on 25th January, 2013. To enable the application to be considered, he should return the completed form or contact his local community welfare service office.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Payments

Questions (401)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

401. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify the payments being received by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the amount of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4005/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The person concerned is in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance at a weekly rate of €310.80. This consists of a personal rate of €186.00 plus €124.80 qualified adult allowance.

Rent Supplement Scheme Applications

Questions (402)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

402. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when rent allowance will be paid in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4006/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The above person has been contacted, details clarified, and rent supplement put in payment.

Question No. 403 withdrawn.

Exceptional Needs Payments

Questions (404)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

404. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4008/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Exceptional needs payments issued to the person concerned on 24 January 2013.

Social Welfare Code

Questions (405, 477)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

405. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has made any progress regarding the situation facing people who were previously self-employed and who no longer can create work for themselves and who are unable to avail of any type of social welfare payments support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4021/13]

Bernard Durkan

Question:

477. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she has been in a position to resolve any outstanding issues arising from those who are formerly self-employed to qualify for a social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4542/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 477 together.

Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the Class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay Class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI Class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer’s PRSI is 4.25%).

In 2011 I established the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare to meet the commitment made in the Programme for Government. The Advisory Group is charged with, inter alia, examining and reporting on issues involved in providing social insurance cover for self-employed persons in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable. The Advisory Group’s overall method of working is based on producing modular reports on the priority areas identified in the Terms of Reference. Where possible, the aim is to provide recommendations that can be acted upon in time for the annual budget, estimates and legislative cycle and to allow the Government to best address its commitments under the EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support. The Group has been considering the issue of social insurance coverage for the self-employed and will submit its report once its examination of the various questions has been completed.

The third Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, as at 31 December 2010, was completed by consultants KPMG in June 2012 and laid before each House of the Oireachtas on 24 August 2012. The Review covers a 55 year period from 2011–2066 and builds on the findings of the 2000 and 2005 Actuarial Reviews of the Fund.

One of the issues examined in the 2010 Review was the long-term cost implications to the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) and the break-even contributions rates required to provide invalidity pensions to the self-employed and to provide jobseeker’s benefit for self-employed workers. The report found that the effective annual rate of contribution, or the required contribution as a percentage of salary, needed to provide the core full-rate State pension (contributory), which is the benefit currently available to self-employed contributors, is approximately 15%. This compares favourably with the 4% rate currently paid by the self-employed. An incremental increase in contribution rates from approximately 15% to 16% would be required if jobseeker’s benefit in addition to core State pension (contributory) is provided. The average contribution rate required for the core State pension (contributory) plus jobseeker’s benefit and the invalidity pension is estimated to be in the region of 17.3%.

Any proposals to revise the social insurance system for self-employed persons by extending social insurance entitlements will have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the finding of the Actuarial Review that the self-employed achieve very good value for money compared with the employed – when the comparison includes both employer and employee contributions in respect of the employed person.

Self-employed workers may access social welfare payments supports by establishing entitlement to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In general, their means will take account of the level of earnings in the last twelve months in determining their expected income for the following year and, in the current climate, account is taken of the downward trend in the economy. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Questions (406)

Nicky McFadden

Question:

406. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the carer's allowance falls under the remit of her Department; if it could be transferred to the Department of Health in view of the the savings that carers bring to the health service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4027/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Government values the role of carers very much and it is for this reason that they receive significant income supports from my Department. In addition to carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit, carers receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits (for those who live with the person for whom they care) and the annual respite care grant in respect of each person for whom they care. If a person is getting certain qualifying social welfare payments and also providing full time care and attention to another person, they can keep their main social welfare payment and get the half-rate carer's allowance as well. They can also receive an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person.

The reason these payments fall under the remit of my Department is that they are income supports for carers who are unable to work while they are caring. They are not intended to cover the cost of care which is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE. They are also not intended to cover the income needs of the care recipient, who, in most cases, will be in receipt of a payment from the Department in their own right, such as a State pension or a disability payment. For operational reasons, including the links with other payments, such as domiciliary care allowance and a range of schemes for those applying for half-rate carer’s allowance, it would not be appropriate to transfer the control of the carer’s allowance payment to the Department of Health.

Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years. The estimated expenditure on carers in 2012 was over €771 million: €509 million on carer’s allowance, €24 million on carer’s benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 on domiciliary care allowance. This represents an increase of almost €20 million on expenditure in 2011. There are over 52,000 people in receipt of carer’s allowance. Of these, over 23,000 are getting half-rate carer’s allowance in addition to another social welfare payment at an annual cost of some €90 million. There are over 1,600 people in receipt of carer’s benefit and more than 70,000 people are in receipt of the annual respite care grant.

Social Welfare Code

Questions (407)

Nicky McFadden

Question:

407. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection if in the event of the death of a person who had been cared for by a person (details supplied) in County Longford, that the person who had been in receipt of carer's allowance could access Social Protection supports through a means other than job seekers' allowance; if the payment could be made directly to the person through the post office instead of the Social Welfare Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4028/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

My Department administers a range of social insurance and assistance schemes to cater for the support needs of its customers. These schemes are contingency based and are designed to address particular circumstance such as involuntary unemployment, illness, disability, reaching pension age etc. Entitlement to payment depends on the individual circumstances of the customer concerned and in order to qualify for payment the person must satisfy the eligibility criteria and conditions of entitlement for the scheme.

In the case of jobseeker payments all customers are required to occasionally attend a Social Welfare Local Office to confirm on-going eligibility and to verify the fact that that they are still unemployed, available for work and that they are genuinely seeking employment opportunities. Payments to customers are generally made via the local post office. As the specific details of this case are not known I have asked my Department to contact your office to establish the person’s possible entitlement to another social welfare payment.

Youth Unemployment Measures

Questions (408, 412, 413, 414, 423, 426)

Dara Calleary

Question:

408. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the strategies she has in place to reduce youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52078/12]

Dara Calleary

Question:

412. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the targets that are in place regarding reducing youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51858/12]

Dara Calleary

Question:

413. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the action she is taking to tackle youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51843/12]

Dara Calleary

Question:

414. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she is putting in place to reduce youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51864/12]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

423. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps taken by her to redress youth unemployment and her assessment of the impact of these steps. [3232/13]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

426. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the current levels of youth unemployment and the steps taken to address this matter. [51881/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 408, 412 to 414, inclusive, 423 and 426 together.

Young people, typically, suffer disproportionately from job losses in recessions as they tend to have entered employment more recently, are more likely to hold temporary contracts and to be employed in cyclically sensitive industries than older workers. There were 71,000 young unemployed, on average, in the first nine months of 2012, made up of 20,000 aged 15-19 and 51,000 aged 20-24. Overall, the under-25 age group had an unemployment rate of 31% (41% for 15-19 year-olds and 29% for 20-24 year-olds). This compares to an unemployment rate of 13.8% for prime age workers (ages 25–54). Of particular concern is the continued increase in the share of youth unemployed who are out of work for more than one year. They now account for 41% of all youth unemployment.

In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth. Past experience suggests that youth unemployment, which tends to rise relatively rapidly in a downturn, can be expected to fall relatively rapidly during the recovery. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for interim measures to support the young unemployed and keep young jobseekers close to the labour market. There are five main approaches being taken to tackle youth unemployment: education, training, job search assistance/guidance, work experience, and encouraging job creation. These actions range across a number of Departments and Agencies.

In terms of education, the Youthreach programme provides integrated education, training and work experience for unemployed early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age. There are almost 6,000 places available nationwide under the Youthreach umbrella.

The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) scheme, operated through VECs, provides a range of courses to meet the education and training needs of unemployed people over 21 years of age (particularly early school leavers). The most recent data indicate that there are almost 1,000 participants on VTOS who are under 25 years of age.

The Back to Education Allowance scheme run by my Department provides income maintenance, along with a contribution to education costs, for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. Over 6,500 young people participated in the BTEA in the last academic year.

Approximately 12,000 persons aged under 25 completed a training course with FÁS in 2012 (excluding apprenticeships and evening courses). Training allowances on eligible courses exceed what a young person would receive in jobseekers’ payments, providing an incentive to take up training programmes.

In addition, in 2013 MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative and is currently being rolled out by the Department of Education. MOMENTUM will support the provision of free education and training projects to allow 6,500 jobseekers (who are unemployed for 12 months or more) to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. MOMENTUM will provide eligible jobseekers with

- Access to a range of quality education and training projects

- Links to identified job vacancies and employers

- Work placement and support

- Relevant industry and National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ ) Certification.

Under the scheme, Labour Market Education and Training Fund (LMETF) funding is being utilised to provide education and training solutions nationwide to the needs of both unemployed individuals and employers within the context of four themes. The first three themes are based on 'clusters of occupations'. These have been chosen because there is evidence available which shows that these skills are associated with relatively good employment opportunities. Theme 4 is dedicated to under 25s and will provide a solid foundation for them to gain employment and/or continue in further education and training that will progress them into employment.

In terms of job search assistance, some 25,500 young people registered with Employment Services in 2012, representing 36% of all registrants. Registering with Employment Services gives job-seekers access to guidance interviews, job search assistance, and training courses, as well as self-service job-seeking options.

Under the National Employment Action Plan (EAP) persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching 3 months on the Live Register are identified by the Department of Social Protection and referred to Employment Services for interview with the aim of assisting them to enter/re-enter the labour market. In 2012, there were some 33,000 referrals of under 25s to the EAP, affecting approximately 26,000 individual jobseekers (those who do not attend initially are referred again). Of those referred, 68% of clients had signed off the Live Register by the end of the year. The EAP process is being changed on a progressive basis across the country to one where referral will take place immediately on becoming unemployed for those identified, through profiling, as being at greatest risk of remaining unemployed for long periods.

There are a number of schemes/programmes available that are focussed on work experience. The most relevant for young people are JobBridge (the National Internship Scheme), and its predecessor the Work Placement Programme. Over 1,500 young people are currently participating on these schemes. The total number of placements of young people on JobBridge during 2012 was 2,700.

The findings of the interim evaluation of JobBridge, The National Internship Scheme by Indecon International Economic Consultants (published – 5th October 2012) found that 61% of finishers secured employment within five months of completing their internship. These progression rates compare favourably with European averages in this area and represent very significant progress in a short period of time. It is expected that the progression outcomes in respect of those ‘under 25’ would be broadly in line with the 61% figure.

A further breakdown of progression into employment by age category will be provided in the final Evaluation Report. In addition to the above this evaluation will assess the design, delivery and impact of the JobBridge Scheme and present recommendations on how the Scheme might be improved. It is at this stage that further consideration will be given to amending the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Young people will also continue to benefit from the reduced rate of employer’s PRSI, the purpose of which is to support job creation, as well as from the impact of Revenue Job Assist and the Employers PRSI Incentive Scheme.

In terms of targets for reducing youth unemployment, the Pathways to Work initiative has specific targets for increasing the number of people who are long-term unemployed moving into employment and reducing the average length of time spent on the Live Register. As two out of five young unemployed are long-term unemployed, these targets are pertinent to young people.

Finally the European Commission has proposed a European-wide approach to a “youth guarantee” that is currently being discussed during Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council. The Commission’s proposals were published in December, and achieving political agreement on these proposals in the Council will be a major objective of Ireland’s Presidency in the first half of 2013.

Action Plan for Jobs

Questions (409, 410, 411, 416, 422, 425)

Dara Calleary

Question:

409. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to tackle the crisis of long-term unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51849/12]

Dara Calleary

Question:

410. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection her strategy to reduce long term unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51861/12]

Dara Calleary

Question:

411. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she is putting in place to reduce long term unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51866/12]

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

416. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views regarding the recent rise in figures for the long term unemployed; if she is bringing forward any specific proposals to target the problem of long term unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3176/13]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

422. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the effectiveness of her response to long term unemployment. [3230/13]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

425. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps taken by her Department to arrest the increase in long term unemployment since she became Minister; and her assessment of the impact of these steps. [3229/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 411, inclusive, 416, 422 and 425 together.

The unemployment rate is currently 14.6% and while it has stabilised after several years of increases, the rate remains unacceptably high. It is of additional concern that long-term unemployment (defined as being unemployed for a year or more) accounted for 60% (193,000) of total unemployment in Q3 2012, and for almost half of all unemployment among young people.

In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economy recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth and thus reduce unemployment and long-term unemployment. In addition to promoting economic recovery, the Government recognises the need for measures to support the long-term unemployed and keep jobseekers close to the labour market. Past experience suggests that, without such measures, long-term unemployment may fall more slowly than overall unemployment when strong economic growth returns.

Given the scale of the unemployment crisis, the key objective of labour market policy and of the NEAP (National Employment Action Plan) is to keep those on the Live Register close to the labour market and prevent the drift into long-term unemployment. Persons from the Live Register availing of activation measures will get an opportunity to engage in employment, training and work experience and so be in a position to avail of employment opportunities as the economy improves. As such, the policy objective is to prioritise scarce resources on those on the Live Register so as to increase their chances of leaving it thereby ensuring a reduction in Exchequer costs over time.

In this context, the major elements of the Government’s response are set out in the Pathways to Work policy which is aimed at ensuring that as many as possible of the job vacancies that are created are filled by people from the Live Register, with a particular focus on those who are long term unemployed or at risk of long-term unemployment.

Pathways to Work

The Pathways to Work policy and the establishment of the new integrated INTREO service will transform the nature and level of engagement between our employment and income support services and the unemployed. The policy is underpinned by five core strands which reflect the new integrated employment and income support services which are currently being established. Each of these strands places the customer at the centre of all the service’s activities, recognising their individual and specific needs. The strands provide for:

- Transforming and reforming the employment and income support services institutions to deliver better services to the unemployed through an integrated approach.

- More regular and on-going engagement with people who are unemployed through active case management and profiling. There were almost 130,000 referrals of unemployed welfare recipients to the employment service in 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.

- Incentivising the take up of opportunities by the unemployed.

- Creating and enhancing relations with employers through incentivising the provision of opportunities for people who are unemployed. A major initiative planned for 2013 will be the streamlining of the existing Revenue Job Assist and Employer PRSI schemes into a single easy to administer scheme that offers an attractive incentive to employers recruiting people who are long-term unemployed.

The Pathways to Work policy sets very ambitious targets for the long-term unemployed to be achieved over the next three years:

- To ensure that 75,000 of those long term unemployed in 2012 will move into employment by 2015.

- To reduce the average time spent on the live register from 21 months to less than 12 months.

- To ensure that employers have access to and are offered suitable candidate to fill full time vacancies and that the proportion of vacancies filled by the Department’s employment services from the Live Register is at least to 40% by 2015.

- To ensure 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.

In addition to the new initiatives announced under the Pathways to Work programme, the Department also manages a number of schemes providing temporary employment for the long-term unemployed on works and services of value to the community. There are currently 26,000 people participating on Community Employment and Tús. As part of Budget 2013, the Government approved 10,000 new places across CE, TÚS, JobBridge and a new social employment scheme with the Local Authorities. The Department also supports long-term unemployed people who create jobs through self-employment. Currently, about 12,000 people are being supported under the Back to Work Allowance scheme and the Short-term Enterprise Allowance scheme.

Education & Training

The Government has also taken 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. There are almost 26,000 participants on the Back to Education Allowance scheme in the current academic year. Springboard offers a choice of free courses in higher education from certificate, to degree, to post-graduate level. All courses lead to qualifications in enterprise sectors which are growing and need skilled personnel. Participants on Springboard courses retain their social welfare payments. Sixty-per cent of Springboard participants have been unemployed for more than twelve months and one third of those for more than 24 months. Over 3,500 people graduated from the first round of Springboard programmes, which were put in place in 2011, and an additional 6,000 places were made 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. Specific Skills Training courses are employment-led and lead to qualifications that offer learners both generic and advanced skills. The expected outcomes are progression to employment in the occupational field or to further and higher education/training and the achievement of certification from levels 5 – 7 in the National Qualifications Framework. The training system also provides Apprenticeships and Traineeships which entail significant skill requirements best acquired through a combination of alternating periods of on and off-the-job training. There were some 27,000 participants on these three FAS programmes in 2011. The Government is prioritising places on training courses for those who have been on the Live Register for 12 months or more.

In addition to these programmes, MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions specifically for the long-term unemployed, is currently being rolled out by the Department of Education. MOMENTUM will support the provision of free education and training projects to allow 6,500 long-term unemployed to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. MOMENTUM will provide the long-term unemployed with

- Access to a range of quality education and training projects

- Links to identified job vacancies and employers

- Work placement and support

- Relevant industry and National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ ) Certification.

Under the scheme, Labour Market Education and Training Fund (LMETF) funding is being utilised to provide education and training solutions nationwide to the needs of both long-term unemployed and employers within the context of four themes. The first three themes are based on 'clusters of occupations'. These have been chosen because there is evidence available which shows that these skills are associated with relatively good employment opportunities. Theme 4 is dedicated to under 25s and will provide a solid foundation for them to gain employment and/or continue in further education and training that will progress them into employment.

Policy Impact:

The additional places being provided on a range of employment and education measures in 2013 will have a direct impact in providing opportunities for people who are currently long-term unemployed. While there should be an impact in medium to long term in improving people’s probability of sustainable exit from the Live Register as a result of these measures, the impact is not quantifiable. However, we do have some preliminary evaluation of a significant component of Pathways to Work - the JobBridge Internship Scheme. The findings of the interim evaluation of JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme by Indecon International Economic Consultants, published in October 2012, found that 61% of finishers secured employment within five months of completing their internship. These progression rates compare favourably with European averages in this area and represent very significant progress in a short period of time. Long-term unemployed made up 38% of participants covered by the evaluation.

More generally, while it is clear that long-term unemployment remains stubbornly high, there has been a noticeable reduction in the inflow into long-term duration on the live register in the recent past. For example, the number of people unemployed for between one and two years fell from almost 80,000 in early 2011 to 55,000 at the end of 2012.However, many of those who became unemployed at the height of the jobs crisis in 2009 have found it particularly difficult to find employment. They are now a target priority group for activation measures.

Questions Nos. 412 to 414, inclusive, answered with Question No. 408.

Job Initiatives

Questions (415)

Dara Calleary

Question:

415. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection when the full details of the plus one scheme announced in Budget 2013 will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3312/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

One of the disruptive reforms under the Action Plan for Jobs suggests that the existing employer job PRSI exemption and Revenue job assist schemes be replaced by a single scheme which is simplified, easier to administer and targeted at the long term unemployed. Senior officials in my Department in conjunction with colleagues from other relevant Departments are engaged in on-going discussions on proposals for consideration by Government.

Question No. 416 answered with Question No. 409.