Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013
466. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 33, 17 October 2013, if she will detail each scheme; the number of persons under 25 years on each scheme; the budget allocation for each scheme constituting the overall spend of €170 million supports to young persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45818/13]
View answerAt present, budget allocations for individual schemes do not specify the amounts to be spent on different age groups.
The estimate of current expenditure on relevant programmes was based on estimated uptake by unemployed young people in 2012 on:- FÁS full-time training for unemployed people – 10,000;- The Back-to Education Allowance – 5,000;- JobBridge – 2,600;- Other schemes – 1,500.
Based on typical unit costs on each of these programmes overall, the aggregate cost of this level of participation by young people in 2012 was estimated at €170 million. It should be noted that this amount excludes expenditure on Youthreach and Community Training Workshops (aimed primarily at early school-leavers aged under 18 years). In addition, the expenditure estimate for the Back-to-Education allowance includes only the income-maintenance element funded by the Department of Social Protection – it excludes the actual cost of provision of the courses taken up by young BTEA participants.
Final estimates of cost and participants for 2013 will be produced at the end of this year when full-year cost and participant estimates (including age-breakdowns) will be available.
