Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2016
496. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department will take to increase uptake in the JobsPlus youth scheme in view of the fact that only 676 of the projected 1,500 young persons were supported by the scheme in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13405/16]
View answerThe JobsPlus incentive is designed to encourage employers and businesses to focus their recruitment efforts on those who have been out of work for long periods or on young people seeking work. It provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers in the form of a monthly grant paid over two years with two levels of grant payable. The level of payment depends on the length of time the person is unemployed.
As part of the introduction of an EU-wide Youth Guarantee, my Department reduced the JobsPlus eligibility threshold from 12 months to 4 months for those under 25 years of age. As a result, an employer will be paid €7,500 over a two year period if they recruit and retain in employment a person who is under 25 years of age and unemployed for at least 4 months in the previous 6 months. An amount of €10,000 will be paid if they are unemployed for at least 24 months.
JobsPlus is promoted through the Intreo offices nationwide, as well as through employer engagement fora and JobPath, the new approach to unemployed clients who need high support to find work. Overall, it is worth noting that the first quarter of this year has seen a 30% increase in unemployed persons registering to confirm their eligibility for JobsPlus, compared to the same period last year.
