I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 and 420 together.
JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from the Live Register and those transitioning into full time employment. It provides employers with two levels of payment; €7,500 or €10,000 over two years, with the level of payment depending on the age of the jobseeker and the length of time on the live register or in receipt of a qualifying payment.
Government's employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021 to 2025, committed to increasing the number of available places on JobsPlus to 8,000 per annum and funding is in place this year to support this number of places. Places are not ring-fenced for any one demographic over another.
In order to support young persons seeking employment, jobseekers under 30 can qualify for Jobplus at an earlier stage than older age cohorts. Jobseekers under 30 can qualify for JobsPlus once they have been on the Live Register for 4 months in the previous 6 months. The equivalent time for persons over 30 is 12 months on the Live Register.
Table 1 provides details of the number of JobsPlus Employees aged under 25 supported in 2020 and 2021, in addition to those supported in January 2022. COVID public health restrictions impacted on the numbers of participants on Jobsplus during these periods.
JobsPlus employees under 25 years supported in 2020
|
JobsPlus employees under 25 years supported in 2021
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JobsPlus employees under 25 years who will be supported in January 2022
|
412
|
272
|
152
|
Table 2 below contains the total number of JobsPlus employers and their respective JobsPlus employees aged between 25 to 29 years of age who were supported on the JobsPlus scheme since July 2020.
Employers
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Employees aged 25-29
|
205
|
222
|
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.