It is proposed to take Question Nos. 3 and 11 together.
To date over 36,000 people have been interviewed under the programme and 650 have found jobs directly as a result. Some 4,000 have been placed on employment schemes or programmes and over 2,000 have been placed on the Jobsearch course. The benefits in improved employment prospects for those in training programmes, including the Jobsearch course, will be seen mainly in the medium term rather than the short term. The initial effect of Jobsearch is to increase the confidence and motivation of the long term unemployed. This has been borne out by a review of the pilot Jobsearch courses held in Letterkenny, Tallaght and Limerick. The review indicated that over 80 per cent of those who attended found the course worth while and 76 per cent felt it improved their confidence.
It is still too early to provide accurate estimates of the likely effect of the Jobsearch programme on the live register. However, apart from those placed in Manpower schemes and AnCO training courses, preliminary figures show that, arising from the programme, 187 were disallowed and a further 1,252 left the live register. The 4,000 or so persons placed on Manpower schemes and AnCO training courses have also left the live register.
I should point out that the Jobsearch programme is concentrated on the long term unemployed and its main purpose is to be of personal assistance to those who are six months or more on the live register in their search for work. It is, of course, recognised that in addition to some people being placed in employment and in Manpower and training schemes, an assessment of the needs of those on the live register will also result in others, who may not appear to satisfy the statutory conditions for entitlements under the Social Welfare Acts, having their entitlements reviewed. Furthermore, a number may cease signing rather than face a review if they are aware that they do not satisfy the statutory conditions for entitlements under the Acts. These are factors which would lead to some reduction in the live register.