Written Answers Nos. 51-70
51. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the way the universal basic income payment will be distinguished from a working age payment that is also being discussed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47918/21]
View answerThe Economic Recovery Plan, which the Government published in June 2021, contains a commitment to bring forward a proposal for a pilot basic income scheme for artists. This follows publication of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce report - 'Life Worth Living' - in November 2020 which included a recommendation to pilot a basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual and live performance and events sectors. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead responsibility for this commitment.
The Programme for Government contains a separate commitment to engage in research, drawing from international experiences, on the best approach to piloting a universal basic income during the lifetime of the Government, via the Low Pay Commission. The matter of a universal basic income, which would apply economy-wide, is a matter for my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
In addition, 'Pathways to Work 2021-2025' was published by the Government in July 2021. Under Pathways to Work, my Department will progress the delivery of a working age payment modelled on the Working Family Payment. The Working Family Payment is a payment to low income families with children. Under the scheme, the rate of payment a person receives is a percentage of the difference between their actual earnings and defined thresholds for their family size.
The rationale in developing a working age payment is to create a greater link between welfare payments and employment earnings such that a person will always experience an increase in income where they take on additional work.
The basic income pilot scheme for artists will apply only to that cohort, whereas the other schemes will have a wider scope.
52. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons availing of the fuel allowance per main qualifying payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48643/21]
View answerThe National Fuel Allowance season for 2021/2022 commenced on 27 September 2021. The aim of the means-tested scheme is to help qualified households in receipt of certain social welfare payments with their winter heating costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards their normal heating expenses; it is not intended to meet these costs in full. Only one Fuel Allowance is paid per household.
The Fuel Allowance, valued at €784.00 per household, is paid at the weekly rate of €28.00 for 28 weeks across the winter season, or by way of two equal lump sum payments of €392.00, payable at the start of the season and in early January 2022.
The number of Fuel Allowance recipients, per main qualifying scheme, as requested by the Deputy, is set out in the table below.
|
Scheme Name |
Number of qualified recipients |
|
State Pension Contributory |
77,246 |
|
Disability Allowance |
75,394 |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
54,139 |
|
Long-term Jobseeker's Allowance & PRETA + Farm Assist |
47,643 |
|
Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension |
41,168 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
38,174 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
16,130 |
|
Community Employment |
8,019 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
2,700 |
|
TUS |
1,818 |
|
Rural Social Scheme |
1,274 |
|
National Fuel Allowance |
1,037 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
899 |
|
Widow(er)'s Non-Contributory Pension |
865 |
|
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance |
596 |
|
Blind Person's Pension |
430 |
|
Occupational Injuries Pension |
419 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
89 |
|
Deserted Wives Allowance |
46 |
|
Guardians Payment Non-Contributory |
9 |
|
Guardians Payment Contributory |
8 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
53. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the low morale that exists amongst community welfare officers due to the increased workload that Covid-19 has placed on them; her plans to increase the number of community welfare officers in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48293/21]
View answerThe Community Welfare Service in my department delivers the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
The Divisional management team is responsible for the delivery of the service at local level, including the management of workloads.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the delivery of the service, however, every effort has been made to ensure that customers can readily access the service and that payments are processed as quickly as possible. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the manner in which the staff in my department have risen to these challenges.
In line with public health advice over the last eighteen months my department has sought to reduce face-to-face contact and, where possible, access for customers to the community welfare service is being provided online, by post and over the telephone. However, Intreo offices are open five days per week and any person who needs to access the Community Welfare Service can attend at an Intreo office every morning or make an appointment for an afternoon meeting.
There are 3 Community Welfare Officers in Monaghan and 3 in Cavan. Both teams have clerical support. Unfortunately, 2 of the officers in Cavan are on sick leave, but arrangements were immediately put in place to ensure continuity of this critical service. 2 Community Welfare Officers are reassigned from other areas to provide cover on a fulltime basis. All applications have been actioned and there is no backlog.
I am informed that current workloads are manageable and there are no plans to increase the number of officers. I wish to assure the Deputy that operational arrangements are kept under constant review to ensure that the Community Welfare Service continues to provide a timely response to support those in need of assistance. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
55. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have signed off from the pandemic unemployment payment in County Louth since the peak of claims in May 2020; the breakdown of the general live register figures for the county since the pandemic commenced in early 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48444/21]
View answerThis week, 3,088 people in Co Louth will receive a PUP payment, a decrease of 82% compared to the peak of 17,114 on 05 May 2020.
The table below sets out the Live Register for County Louth since the onset of the pandemic.
Live Register: County Louth, March 2020 to August 2021
|
Month |
Persons |
|
Mar 2020 |
8,174 |
|
Apr 2020 |
8,374 |
|
May 2020 |
8,333 |
|
Jun 2020 |
8,260 |
|
Jul 2020 |
8,814 |
|
Aug 2020 |
8,583 |
|
Sep 2020 |
8,156 |
|
Oct 2020 |
7,906 |
|
Nov 2020 |
7,591 |
|
Dec 2020 |
7,620 |
|
Jan 2021 |
7,672 |
|
Feb 2021 |
7,639 |
|
Mar 2021 |
7,498 |
|
Apr 2021 |
7,446 |
|
May 2021 |
7,296 |
|
Jun 2021 |
7,339 |
|
Jul 2021 |
7,686 |
|
Aug 2021 |
7,418 |
Source: data.cso.ie/table/LRM07
57. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the absence of statistical data on the use of site visits including home visits by social welfare inspectors; her views on whether this lack of statistical data is appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48691/21]
View answerSocial Welfare Inspectors are appointed under the Social Welfare Acts to investigate and report on claims and to carry out inspections at employer premises to ensure that there is compliance with the PRSI scheme. An Inspector’s report is then used to inform the Deciding Officer, who is also appointed under the Social Welfare Acts to make decisions on claims based on all the facts and evidence available.
A Social Welfare Inspector will use his or her judgement in deciding the most appropriate location for an interview in order to establish eligibility to the Department’s schemes and to confirm that employers are meeting their obligations in relation to the PRSI scheme. Interviews may be conducted in a customer’s home, in the Department’s offices or on a premises where employment is believed or suspected to be taking place.
A record of facts and evidence relevant to an individual’s claim or the employer’s records is maintained for the purpose of the decision-making process. It is not considered necessary that case specific information, including whether a site visit or home visit took place, is recorded centrally.
58. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the take-up of the additional 3,000 places for employment support schemes announced as part of the 2020 July Stimulus package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48649/21]
View answer75. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the additional 3,000 places announced for community employment; the way these places are broken down by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48629/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 75 together.
The Department of Social Protection delivers a range of active labour market employment support schemes including Community Employment (CE), and Tús to provide opportunities for long term unemployed persons gain valuable work experience by working within their local communities. Building on the July Jobs Stimulus and as part of the new employment services strategy, Pathways to Work Strategy, the Government is providing 3,000 additional places on Community Employment and Tús. Of the additional places, 1,475 places have been assigned to existing CE schemes recently and 1,164 to existing Tús schemes. CE schemes will benefit from the additional placements in every county while the applications for Tús schemes have been approved for the 19 counties that applied. Full details on the county profile for the schemes are listed in Table 1 below. Further work has now commenced in assigning the remaining places.These new places will be made available to existing and more recent long-term unemployed persons, including those whose employment was adversely affected as a result of Covid-19. Time spent on PUP will count towards persons eligibility for CE and Tús. Intreo Offices are working with CE and Tús schemes to fill these new places.I am fully committed to the future of CE and Tús and will continue to support and improve the programmes for the benefit of both the CE and Tús participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities throughout the country.
|
COUNTY |
CE |
Tús |
Total |
|
Carlow |
33 |
52 |
85 |
|
Cavan |
33 |
23 |
56 |
|
Clare |
12 |
0 |
12 |
|
Cork |
132 |
165 |
297 |
|
Donegal |
173 |
93 |
266 |
|
Dublin |
224 |
80 |
304 |
|
Galway |
45 |
188 |
233 |
|
Kerry |
51 |
21 |
72 |
|
Kildare |
37 |
15 |
52 |
|
Kilkenny |
58 |
0 |
58 |
|
Laois |
17 |
11 |
28 |
|
Leitrim |
26 |
0 |
26 |
|
Limerick |
90 |
0 |
90 |
|
Longford |
25 |
56 |
81 |
|
Louth |
71 |
7 |
78 |
|
Mayo |
31 |
78 |
109 |
|
Meath |
48 |
169 |
217 |
|
Monaghan |
17 |
17 |
34 |
|
Offaly |
20 |
0 |
20 |
|
Roscommon |
6 |
30 |
36 |
|
Sligo |
77 |
43 |
120 |
|
Tipperary |
52 |
82 |
134 |
|
Waterford |
20 |
21 |
41 |
|
Westmeath |
53 |
0 |
53 |
|
Wexford |
89 |
0 |
89 |
|
Wicklow |
35 |
13 |
48 |
|
TOTAL |
1,475 |
1,164 |
2,639 |
59. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of a pandemic unemployment payment who have transferred to the work placement experience programme, community employment, Tús and JobsPlus in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48650/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
Table: Persons who were in Receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment who have transferred to Another Named Scheme as of 30th September 2021
|
Scheme |
People |
|
Community Employment |
286 |
|
Jobs Plus |
267 |
|
TÚS |
19 |
|
Work Place Employment Programme |
17 |
60. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if the new local employment schemes contract will cater for walk-ins; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48612/21]
View answerMy Department is currently at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties have no existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of employment services.Phase two of the process was to have seen service in place by January 2022. This has now been temporarily postponed giving potential tenderers additional time to prepare collaborative joint bids. Learnings from the first phase will be applied to subsequent Requests for Tenders that will see the expansion of this model throughout the rest of the State. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.Under the RFT for the Regional Employment Service, the Department will be able to refer long term jobseekers to the new services as well as other cohorts on a voluntary basis such as lone parents and qualified adults. All referrals will be managed by the Department’s Intreo offices and they will determine the best employment service for an individual based on their specific circumstances and requirements. In many cases the supports to individuals will be delivered through the Department’s Intreo offices or they may be referred to the new Regional Employment Service. If an individual is not in receipt of a social welfare payment, they should contact their local Intreo office who will offer them support and advice and may refer them to the Regional Employment Service, as appropriate. The focus will be on getting the right people the right resources at the right time.
61. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes she is considering to the work schemes under the Pathways to Work initiative given the abuses of same by employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48663/21]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring to the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP). WPEP is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025. It is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers who have been unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary. All participants are paid €306 per week plus any social welfare increases for qualified adults and children. The intention is to provide quality and valuable work experience to unemployed persons. Work placements are recognised internationally as being effective in assisting jobseekers find new jobs. The Labour Market Advisory Council also recommended the inclusion of a new work placement programme as one of the active labour market measures to be included in the Pathways to Work Strategy.
All host organisations and individual placements are checked for compliance and quality assurance purposes prior to being advertised on the Department’s recruitment website; jobsIreland.ie. A placement is not approved or published if the placement does not meet the stringent criteria set for the new programme.
During the programme host organisations must complete monthly compliance checklists for all placements and return the completed checklists to my Department. My Department will also undertake two monitoring meetings to ensure that the terms and conditions of the programme are being fulfilled. Any complaints received relating to participation on the WPEP will be investigated in full by the Department’s case officer as part of the ongoing monitoring of the programme and the individual placement.
Since the programme was launched in the middle of July these arrangements have been working very well for the benefit of unemployed persons gaining valuable work experience which have been demonstrated to improve their long term employment prospects. These will be kept under review.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
62. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48652/21]
View answerThe Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025 is a whole of Government strategy that aims to reduce the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland to 2% or less. The Roadmap contains seven high level goals with 22 specific targets, which will be delivered by 66 unique commitments. Implementation of Roadmap commitments is underway with a number of commitments fully achieved or close to completion and with work ongoing in relation to a number of other commitments. This was achieved against a challenging backdrop with many Departments having to redirect resources during 2020 and 2021 to address the range of social, health, community and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Commitments that have been delivered include:
- The implementation of the National Childcare Scheme.
- The introduction of an additional three weeks of Parent’s Leave and Parent’s Benefit (bringing the total to five weeks).
- The extension of the Hot School Meals programme in 2021, with 189 schools, including 171 DEIS schools, receiving funding.
- The allocation of €5 million the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 to Support and Improve Employment Opportunities for Carers and Persons with a Disability, with funding of in excess of €2.3 million awarded to 17 projects in December 2020.
- The establishment of the Labour Market Advisory Council, which plays a key role in advising the Minister and the Government on the labour market.
The publication of a number of national strategies including:
- The Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy 2020-2024 "Transforming Learning",
- The National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025,
- Our Rural Future: the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025,
- Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025 in July 2021.
The inclusion in Budget 2021 of specific measures to support working families on low incomes including:
- an increase of €10 per week in the Working Family Payment income threshold for families with one, two or three children at an estimated cost of €21.4 million in 2021;
- the removal of the €425 earnings threshold for the One Parent Family Payment at an estimated cost of €3.5 million in 2021;
- an increase in the rates of Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) of €2 to €38 per week for children under 12 and €5 to €45 per week for children 12 years and older, at an estimated cost of €59.2 million in 2021.
A Social Inclusion Roadmap Steering Group (SIRSG) has been established to monitor implementation of the Roadmap commitments across Government. This group is comprised of senior representatives from responsible departments at Assistant Secretary and Principal Officer Level and three external members from the Community and Voluntary sector. As Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion policy and implementation of the Roadmap, I chair the Steering Group. It has met on three occasions since November 2020, with the fourth meeting planned for November 2021.
Progress on implementation of the Roadmap commitments will be reported on an annual basis with the production of an annual report and report card on progress against each commitment. The first annual report is being prepared for publication. This report will be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality for consideration, and to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
63. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position in relation to the provision of pensions for community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48440/21]
View answer84. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress that is being made regarding the terms and conditions for community employment supervisors, particularly regarding their demand for a pension scheme. [45187/21]
View answer88. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on the provision of pensions for community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48646/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 84 and 88 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors. This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not the employer of the supervisors.
Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this complex issue, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Department officials also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.
At the start of April this year, agreement was reached with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. These proposals include a financial package.
I am confident these proposals are a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue. Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. The unions have made a number of observations, and these are currently being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other relevant Government Departments.
My officials are continuing to progress this matter as a priority, and I would hope that these discussions can reach a conclusion in the near future.
65. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to acknowledge the significant burden on carers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. [48660/21]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy. The main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Over 135,000 carers benefit from regular income supports and spending on these payments in 2021 is expected to be in the region of €1.5 billion. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.Despite the substantial extra financial demands due to the Covid-19 crisis, I announced that the Carer’s Support Grant would be increased by €150 to a rate of €1,850 in June of this year. This is the highest rate since its introduction.
The annual grant is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. The grant can be used for any purpose at the discretion of the carer and it is not taxed. Recipients of Carer's Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance receive the grant automatically. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention to someone who requires that level of care are also eligible and can apply for a grant.At the start of August, some 132,224 grants had been paid to 118,614 people. Some 12,000 carers who are providing care for two or more people received a grant in respect of each person they are caring for. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for to take account of the additional cost of providing care and to recognise the particular challenges faced by these carers. I can assure the Deputy that I am very aware of the key role carers play in society and the particular challenges they have faced in light of Covid-19 and I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers under review. Any improvements or additions to these supports can only be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
66. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection the EU directive or regulation on public procurement that requires the dismantling of the current local employment services system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48670/21]
View answerMy Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of a two-phase procurement of new employment services. This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers over the last number of years.The Phase two procurement, to commence shortly, will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take on board the learnings of the first phase. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.I have previously made clear that legal advice from the Attorney General's Office obliges my Department to procure its employment services in an open and competitive manner in respect of EU and national procurement rules. The relevant EU directive is Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement. In addition, the existing LES contracts are no longer consistent with current best practices. Good governance therefore requires that my Department delivers a new model of employment services which entails a move to multi-annual contracts with enhanced key performance indicators and a funding model that will allow more autonomy on the best means of delivering enhanced employment services to members of the public. The relevant legislation does not require the "dismantling" of employment services as the Deputy suggests, but it does require that we competitively procure these services. As I have stated previously, existing service providers, with their strong track record and demonstrable capacity for delivering high-quality employment services, will be in a good position to submit strong competitive tenders for the Regional Employment Service.
67. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that self-employed fishermen and women who crew fishing vessels but who do not meet the current criteria can access the rural social scheme. [48681/21]
View answerOn clarification with the Deputy's office, the question refers to whether people that are employed as crew members on a fishing vessel, but who do not themselves hold the fishing licence for that vessel, can access the rural social scheme (RSS).RSS is an income support initiative providing part-time employment opportunities for farmers or fishermen and fisherwomen in receipt of certain means-tested social welfare payments and, who are underemployed in their primary occupation.To be eligible participate on RSS, a person must be aged 25 or over, in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment satisfying the means test for receipt of Farm/Fish Assist and, meet the criteria of being a self-employed farmer or a fisherman/fisherwoman. A person who is a self-employed fisherperson on a boat, which has been entered in the Register of Fishing Boats, is eligible to participate on RSS, provided that they meet all other eligibility criteria. However, other crew members who are not self employed fishermen or fisherwomen are not eligible to participate on RSS. There are no plans to extend eligibility criteria at present, however the Department continually monitors all of its employment support programmes and intends to complete a review of RSS in 2022.
68. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place or planned to support groups facing additional challenges accessing work such as lone parents, persons with disabilities and minority groups including Travellers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48651/21]
View answerWe are all aware of the importance of employment in supporting individuals, society and the economy. My Department is committed to assisting all individuals in society to prepare for and secure employment. I also understand that the path to employment is not the same for everyone and that additional help is required for those facing additional challenges and those in minority communities.
This is a key focus of Pathways to Work 2021-2025, Government’s national employment services strategy, launched on July 12th. The strategy, while dealing with labour market challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, also sets out specific actions for those in society facing additional difficulties in accessing employment. This is the focus of the Strategy’s Fourth Strand ‘Working For All - Leaving No One Behind’, which focusses on extending targeted employment supports to groups facing additional challenges accessing work such as people with disabilities, lone parents and minority groups, including Travellers.
Some of the key measures under Pathways to Work include:
- Completing the consultation on the Early Engagement Roadmap for young people with disabilities and implement the approach starting in 2021.
- Implementing the Public Appointments Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2023, including by supporting engagement with representative organisations and individuals from diverse backgrounds to understand employment barriers and to increase awareness of public sector employment opportunities among these individuals.
- Reserving places on public employment programmes for people from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds.
- Developing a Traveller and Roma Training, Employment and Enterprise Plan.
- Delivering bespoke job promotion and local recruitment events for older workers seeking to re-enter employment and engaging with employers to encourage the recruitment of older workers.
In addition, my Department works closely with the Further Education and Training sector in the provision of activation supports, including opportunities for training, upskilling and reskilling. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, launched by my colleague, Minister Harris earlier this year, includes a bursary support scheme to be established for participants from disadvantaged groups, including lone parents, people with disabilities, Travellers and Roma.
In addition, there are specific employment supports in place for people with disabilities such as the EmployAbility service, the reasonable accommodation fund for employers which can provide workplace adaptation and employee retention grants, and the wage subsidy scheme among others. The above initiatives also build on the measures that are already in place in my Department, such as earnings disregards in means assessments for the one parent family payment and disability allowance schemes.I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
69. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress on the implementation of the Pathways to Work 2021-2025 national employment services strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48638/21]
View answerUnder Pathways to Work, Government's new employment services strategy, launched last July, my Department has put in place a wide range of measures to assist those out of work find new jobs. These measures, strengthened by increased capacity within the Public Employment Service, will allow us to provide those out of work with the guidance and support needed to re-enter the workforce.
Pathways to Work sets out 83 commitments on a whole-of-Government basis. The strategy is in the early stages of implementation, with progress expected to accelerate as the final stages of public health restrictions are lifted and with the phased transition of PUP recipients to jobseeker’s payments starting from next month.
Progress to date on implementation includes the launch of the new Work Placement Experience Programme which has 102 individuals who have started or are due to start in the near future. 2,600 out of the additional CE and Tús places have been assigned to existing employment support schemes. In addition, the capacity of the Intreo Public Service has already been expanded and is in place to provide employment support services to those unemployed as the economy and labour market starts to recover from the pandemic.
I am working closely with my colleague Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, to ensure that jobseekers can avail of suitable training opportunities to assist them to access the skills needed to make their next step in their career. Under Pathways to Work, Minister Harris’s Department committed to providing 50,000 additional education and training places, supporting delivery of actions set out in the Apprenticeship Action Plan, and supporting 50,000 long-term unemployed into further education and training by 2025.
Furthermore, on October 26th we will begin the process of transitioning PUP recipients to a jobseeker’s payment. All recipients on that date in receipt of the €203 rate will be transitioned to jobseeker terms. Building on the initial engagements with PUP recipients over the summer, these persons will then formally enter my Department’s Intreo Public Employment Service, including that delivered by contracted service providers, where they can receive one-to-one engagement and guidance, access to employment supports, work placement and training opportunities. This process will also allow for the further rollout of Pathways to Work measures, specifically additional supports for those whose pre-pandemic job will not return and who will need additional support to re-enter the workforce.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
70. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons under 25 years of age in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in County Mayo; the number nationally; the steps her Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48630/21]
View answerLatest estimates from the CSO indicate that the unemployment rate for young people is 19 percent using the traditional measure rising to almost 26 per cent when we use the CSO’s COVID-19 adjusted measure for the month of August. The latter rate, which includes those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), has fallen sharply from its 2021 peak of 61 per cent in January.
This rate is expected to fall further in the September unemployment estimates to be released this week as 20,000 students, no longer eligible for PUP since last month, will no longer be included in the estimate. Full-time students are not traditionally included in unemployment estimates as they are not considered part of the labour force as they are generally not available for full time employment.
Thanks to the continued reopening of our economy and society, the number of young people on PUP has declined significantly, falling by 91% since the 2021 peak in February to just under 10,400 this week. Of these, 220 are in County Mayo, which represents 2 percent of all young persons on the scheme nationwide. I expect to see further reductions in these PUP numbers, as the final set of public health restrictions are eased later this month.
However, in order to minimise any scarring effects amongst young people who permanently lost their jobs due to the pandemic, my Department has introduced a series of targeted measures under the Pathways to Work strategy, including:
- Expanding the JobsPlus scheme to 8,000 places and enhancing the incentive to recruit young jobseekers in particular, by increasing the youth age limit from 25 to 30 years.
- The newly launched Work Placement Experience Programme, which is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work experience programme, for persons out of work for six months or more and has 4,000 places ring-fenced for young people.
- Ring-fencing at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 additional Community Employment and Tús places for long term unemployed young people.
- Ring-fencing at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 additional Community Employment and Tús places for long term unemployed young people.
My Department also works closely with the Further Education and Training sector to provide access to training, upskilling and reskilling opportunities that are of particular relevance to young people entering the labour market for the first time. As part of Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are providing an additional 50,000 further education and training places to help more people, including young persons, to have the opportunity to upskill and reskill. In addition, the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme has been extended until the end of December 2021. This scheme provides financial supports for employers who register apprentices to a national apprenticeship scheme.
Using these measures, Pathways to Work 2021-2025 aims to reduce the youth unemployment rate back to or below the 2019 average of 12.5% by 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
