Written Answers Nos. 96 - 102
96. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a supplementary welfare allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11093/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that representations, from the Deputy, on behalf of the person concerned, were received on 24 February 2014. The representations and attachments, in this case, have been accepted as grounds of appeal and a supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) appeal was registered on 3 March 2014.
It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
Every effort will be made to have this appeal determined as quickly as possible.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
99. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when the review of the insolvency payments scheme for insolvent companies that have no liquidator or receiver appointed will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11114/14]
View answerThe purpose of the insolvency payments scheme, which operates under the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act, 1984, which, in turn, derives from EU Council Directive 987/80, is to protect certain outstanding pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. These entitlements include wages, holiday pay, sick pay, payment in lieu of minimum notice due under the Minimum Notice & Terms of Employment Acts, 1973-2001, and certain pension contributions. Various other statutory awards made by the Employment Appeals Tribunal, Rights Commissioners, etc., are also covered by the scheme.
Where a person’s former employer was a limited company, the company must be in liquidation or receivership in order for the person to be eligible to claim under the insolvency payments scheme. In such circumstances, the liquidator or receiver becomes the relevant officer for submitting claims as he or she has access to the company records and can certify that the amounts claimed are in order.
I am aware that there are cases where companies have ceased trading without engaging in a formal winding-up process and that in some such cases those employers may owe monies to their employees. Such employees are not eligible for payments under the insolvency payments scheme. I have asked my Department to review the position to establish what, if anything can be done to progress payments to individuals in these situations. I am not in a position to indicate when this review will be completed.
100. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will supply the PPS number for a deceased person (details supplied) to their family as this number is required by her Department and other State bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11120/14]
View answerThe Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) is an individual’s unique reference number for all dealings with Government Departments and public bodies.
Before the introduction of the PPS Number (previously Revenue and Social Insurance Number), an Insurance Number was used to record an individual’s Social Insurance contributions.
In the case of the person referred to by the Deputy, no PPS Number exists. However, an old Insurance Number has been traced for him. Any contribution details recorded under this number are being identified and the Bereavement Grant section of the Department will be in contact with his representatives in due course.
101. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address the issue of youth unemployment in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11134/14]
View answerIn 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.
However, the Government also recognises the need for additional measures in the interim while the economy recovers. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work Strategy. Pathways to Work 2013 prioritises the allocation of available resources inter alia to the young unemployed. The goal in Strand 2 of Pathways to Work 2013 is: “To provide unemployed people, in particular people who are long-term unemployed and young unemployed people, with opportunities to enhance their job prospects through value-adding work experience, education and training activities.”
In terms of enhancing job prospects the Department has a number of supports available for jobseekers (including young unemployed). These provide short medium and long term places and are outlined below. With specific reference to youth unemployment, during last year’s EU Presidency, Ireland prioritised the passing of the EU recommendation on the provision of a Youth Guarantee under which every young person should be guaranteed an offer of employment, training or further education within a target period of four months of becoming unemployed. Ireland also took the lead in discussions which led to the provision of a €6bn EU spending provision which is to be frontloaded to cover programmes undertaken in the first two years of the multi-year financial framework (i.e. 2014 and 2015). We have developed a national implementation plan for a Youth Guarantee in Ireland and this plan was forwarded to the European Commission at the beginning of this year and published in late January. A range of specific measures is included in the plan:-
- JobBridge (the National Internship Scheme) provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 month or a 9 month period. The aim of JobBridge is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. Some 6,400 people are currently participating on this scheme. Over 13,000 new participants are expected to benefit from JobBridge in 2014. Take-up of people under 25 is expected to exceed 3,000 this year (not including the new “development” JobBridge programme which is expected to increase this figure to 5,000).
- The JobsPlus incentive scheme encourages employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. The incentive is payable monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period. There are 2 levels of incentive: €7,500 for recruits unemployed for more than 12 but less than 24 months and €10,000 for recruits unemployed for more than 24 months. It is anticipated that approximately 4,000 jobs will be subsidised by JobsPlus in 2014 including an inflow of 2,000 new participants. It is proposed to amend the eligibility requirements to allow young people to access the scheme at lower unemployment duration and as a result, young people are expected to account for approximately 1,500 of new participants on the JobsPlus scheme in 2014.
- 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 were almost 31,000 people participating on Community Employment and Tús in December 2013. Similar figures are expected for 2014, with average participation expected to be in the order of 33,000. In 2014, there will also be 3,000 places available on Gateway, a local authority labour activation scheme that provides short-term work and training opportunities for long-term unemployed people who have been on the Live Register for over 2 years.
- In terms of up-skilling, the Back to Education Allowance scheme run by the Department provides income maintenance, along with a contribution to education costs, for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. In 2014, average participation is expected to be in the order of 18,500 of which circa 3,300 are expected to be accounted for by under 25s.
- MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, which is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative, was rolled out by the Department of Education in 2013. MOMENTUM supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow up to 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors. Over 1,600 of these places have been taken up by young people in 2013 up to mid-November. It is intended to provide a minimum of 2,000 MOMENTUM places for young people in 2014.
- Two further up-skilling options available are the Part-time Education Option (PTEO) and Education Training and Development Option (ET&D). Both PTEO and ET&D are designed to facilitate jobseekers who wish to engage in part time day, evening or weekend courses or more intensive short duration courses of education and training while retaining their jobseeker’s payments. The PTEO allows participants to attend part-time day/evening or weekend courses of education or training and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists provided that they continue to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment on an on-going basis. Payment is made at the same rate as the primary payment and no maximisation of payments occurs. The ET&D allows participants to attend certain courses of education, training or development of short duration and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists. Participants are exempt from engaging in job search but must be available for employment should an opportunity arise.
- Courses delivered through Youthreach/CTCs are directed at unemployed young early school leavers aged 15-21. They offer participants the opportunity to identify and pursue viable options within adult life, and provide them with opportunities for personal and social development education and training while pursuing nationally accredited qualifications. Participation can last between one and two years. Some 6,000 places will be provided in 2014, with an intake of about 3,300. This will continue to be the main programme offer for school-leavers aged under 18 in the context of the Guarantee.
- The former FAS training provision is being progressively transferred to the new regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs) up to mid-2014. The main FAS/Solas programmes of relevance to the young unemployed are Specific Skills Training, Traineeships, Local Training Initiatives, and training for people with disabilities through Specialist Training Providers. About 25,000 new participants are expected on these courses in 2014, of which 9,500 are expected to be young people.
A breakdown of likely available places for 2014 is presented in the table.
Expected participation, activation programmes, 2014
|
Programme |
Average participation |
Inflow of new participants |
Expected inflow of young people |
|
Youthreach/CTC |
6,000 |
3,300 |
3,300 |
|
JobBridge (including planned reserve) |
7,700 |
13,300 |
5,000 |
|
Tus |
7,500 |
7,500 |
1,000 |
|
JobsPlus |
4,000 |
2,000 |
1,500 |
|
Momentum |
6,500 |
6,500 |
2,000 |
|
BTEA (excl Momentum) |
18,500 |
9,300 |
3,300 |
|
BTWEA |
11,000 |
5,500 |
200 |
|
VTOS |
5,600 |
2,800 |
500 |
|
FAS/Solas |
10,300 |
25,000 |
9,500 |
|
CEB youth Entrepreneurship Training and Mentoring supports |
700 |
700 |
|
|
CEB/MFI micro-loans for young people |
150 |
150 |
|
|
International Work Experience and Training |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
Gateway |
3,000 |
3,000 |
450 |
|
Community Employment |
25,300 |
12,700 |
500 |
|
Total |
105,650 |
92,000 |
28,350 |
|
PLCs Apprenticeship |
35,000 8,000 |
32,000 2,500 |
22,000 2,000 |
|
Vocational Third Level |
- |
It is estimated that at least 50% of the 41,000 entrants to third level each year are entering courses leading towards defined occupations |
- |
102. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address the issue of long term unemployment in the course of 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11135/14]
View answerIn the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth.
However, the Government also recognises the need for additional measures in the interim while the economy recovers. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work Strategy. Pathways to Work 2013 prioritises the allocation of available resources to the long-term unemployed. The goal in Strand 2 of Pathways to Work 2013 is: “To provide unemployed people, in particular people who are long-term unemployed and young unemployed people, with opportunities to enhance their job prospects through value-adding work experience, education and training activities.”
The Pathways to Work Strategy set a target of moving 75,000 of the 180,800 people who were on the Live Register for over a year (long-term unemployed) at the beginning of 2012, into employment by the end of 2015. By the end of 2013, some 42,900 of this group had moved into employment, 12,000 of whom, to part-time employment. As there can be some time lag in the reporting of new entries to employment by the relevant employers, it is likely that these figures will increase retrospectively as further records become available.
In terms of enhancing job prospects the Department has a number of supports available for jobseekers (including long term). These provide short medium and long term places and are outlined below.
- JobBridge (the National Internship Scheme) provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 month or a 9 month period. The aim of JobBridge is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. Some 6,400 people are currently participating on this scheme. Over 13,000 new participants are expected to benefit from JobBridge in 2014.
- The JobsPlus incentive scheme encourages employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. The incentive is payable monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period. There are 2 levels of incentive: €7,500 for recruits unemployed for more than 12 but less than 24 months and €10,000 for recruits unemployed for more than 24 months. It is anticipated that approximately 4,000 jobs will be subsidised by JobsPlus in 2014 including an inflow of 2,000 new participants.
- 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 were almost 31,000 people participating on Community Employment and Tús in December 2013. Similar figures are expected for 2014, with average participation expected to be in the order of 33,000. In 2014, there will also be 3,000 places available on Gateway, a local authority labour activation scheme that provides short-term work and training opportunities for long-term unemployed people who have been on the Live Register for over 2 years.
- In terms of up-skilling, the Back to Education Allowance scheme run by the Department provides income maintenance, along with a contribution to education costs, for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. In 2014, average participation is expected to be in the order of 18,500.
- MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, which is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative, was rolled out by the Department of Education in 2013. MOMENTUM supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow up to 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors.
- Two further up-skilling options available are the Part-time Education Option (PTEO) and Education Training and Development Option (ET&D). Both PTEO and ET&D are designed to facilitate jobseekers who wish to engage in part time day, evening or weekend courses or more intensive short duration courses of education and training while retaining their jobseeker’s payments. The PTEO allows participants to attend part-time day/evening or weekend courses of education or training and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists provided that they continue to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment on an on-going basis. Payment is made at the same rate as the primary payment and no maximisation of payments occurs. The ET&D allows participants to attend certain courses of education, training or development of short duration and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists. Participants are exempt from engaging in job search but must be available for employment should an opportunity arise.
- The former FAS training provision is being progressively transferred to the new regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs) up to mid-2014. The main FAS/Solas programmes of relevance to the young unemployed are Specific Skills Training, Traineeships, Local Training Initiatives, and training for people with disabilities through Specialist Training Providers. About 25,000 new participants are expected on these courses in 2014.
A breakdown of likely available places for 2014 is presented in the table. The programmes where being long-term unemployed is an eligibility requirement are indicated
Expected participation, activation programmes, 2014
|
Programme |
Average participation |
Inflow of new participants |
Aimed at Long Term Unemployed ? |
|
Youthreach/CTC |
6,000 |
3,300 |
- |
|
JobBridge (including planned reserve) |
7,700 |
13,300 |
- |
|
Tus |
7,500 |
7,500 |
Yes |
|
JobsPlus |
4,000 |
2,000 |
Yes |
|
Momentum |
6,500 |
6,500 |
Yes |
|
BTEA (excl Momentum) |
18,500 |
9,300 |
- |
|
BTWEA |
11,000 |
5,500 |
Yes |
|
VTOS |
5,600 |
2,800 |
- |
|
FAS/Solas |
10,300 |
25,000 |
40% target |
|
CEB youth Entrepreneurship Training and Mentoring supports |
700 |
- |
|
|
CEB/MFI micro-loans for young people |
150 |
- |
|
|
International Work Experience and Training |
250 |
250 |
- |
|
Gateway |
3,000 |
3,000 |
Yes |
|
Community Employment |
25,300 |
12,700 |
Yes |
|
Total |
105,650 |
92,000 |
- |
|
PLCs Apprenticeship |
35,000 8,000 |
32,000 2,500 |
- |
|
Vocational Third Level |
- |
It is estimated that at least 50% of the 41,000 entrants to third level each year are entering courses leading towards defined occupations |
- |
