Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
20. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to address the rate of jobseeker’s allowance for young people following her Department’s report on the issue considering that the payment is currently set well below the poverty line; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14844/22]
View answerYoung people on lower rates of jobseeker payments can avail of the full adult rate if they participate on any of the large range of education, training or employment programmes available through Intreo and the ETBs. This payment structure was deliberately designed to giving young jobseekers a strong financial incentive to engage in education and training or to take up employment. Ultimately it is through engaging in education, training or employment programmes that young people can improve their employment prospects. This approach is not unique to Ireland; a number of other countries have similarly reduced unemployment payments for young jobseekers.
There are exceptions to the application of the age related rates including for those living independently of family members and in State supported housing.
A key priority for this Government is to get these young people back to work or into training and education. As we move away from Covid restrictions, there has been a strong exit from unemployment as the economy has re-opened.
Prior to the pandemic, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for 2019 averaged approximately 12.5 percent. At its peak in May 2020, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 was 70 percent. This has fallen substantially, to around 13 percent as of February 2022, or 12.6 percent according to the traditional seasonally adjusted measure.
In addition, the recently published Pathways to Work 2021-2025 has a particular focus on young jobseekers and provides for the following key measures in this regard:
- Ring-fenced places on the Work Placement Experience Programme for young people.
- 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 subsidy is available, on an earlier basis than normal, to employers when they recruit young people.
- Providing 50,000 additional further education and training places.
- Additional Community Employment and Tús places for young people.
- Targeting 10,000 apprentice registrations per year by 2025.
My Department will continue to monitor and evaluate Government’s policy in this area focusing on getting young people back to work or into training and education, thereby reducing their future risk of poverty.
