asked the Minister for Labour his views on whether the long-term unemployed will be worse off financially by participating in the following manpower programmes: (a) Teamwork (b) the social employment scheme (c) the enterprise scheme (d) the employment incentive scheme (e) the work experience programme and (f) the community enterprise programme as they will not receive (i) EC social assistance butter vouchers (ii) national fuel scheme and (iii) bonus social welfare payment at Christmas; if he will adjust the payments to compensate for such a loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Long-Term Unemployed.
220.
To answer the first part of the Deputy's question it is necessary to explain the nature of the schemes listed and how they represent an improvement generally for participants as compared with their previous unemployment experience.
(a) Teamwork: This is a community managed scheme designed to help local voluntary organisations provide temporary community-based employment for the mutual benefit of unemployed young people and their communities. The young persons recruited accept employment voluntarily on a scheme.
(b) Social Employment Scheme: The purpose of the scheme is to provide part time employment to people who are over 25 years and who have been unemployed for a prolonged period. Participants receive £60 for an average 2½ day working week. An additional allowance of £25 per week is payable to persons with an adult dependant immediately prior to their recruitment to the scheme. Participants are encouraged to engage in other employment for the days of the week in which they are not working on the scheme.
(c) The Enterprise Scheme: Participants on this scheme receive a weekly payment of £30 and £50 per week depending on whether they have dependants. For the average participant this represents a reduction of income compared with his or her social welfare income. However, as they enter the scheme voluntarily in order to set up their own businesses, other business related income must be taken into consideration. The drop-out rate within the year of participation is currently running at about 5 per cent and it must, therefore, be concluded that the majority of participants find the scheme more attractive than signing on the Live Register.
(d) The Employment Incentive Scheme: This is a scheme which is designed for employers who create extra jobs by recruiting from the unemployed. The persons recruited enter into employment voluntarily with their employers and it must be concluded that they accept employment on the basis that it is more attractive than unemployment.
(e) Work Experience Programme: The work experience programme, which has been suspended, was designed to assist young people who had left the educational system and were having difficulty in securing employment because they lacked previous experience. Because of the nature of the programme, only a minority of participants would have qualified prior to participation for the concessions mentioned by the Deputy. Participation in the programme was of course voluntary.
(f) Community Enterprise Programme: The community enterprise programme is a job creation scheme. Participants, like employment incentive scheme participants, enter employment under the programme as a matter of choice. Obviously, the participants find it more attractive to participate in the programme than to remain on the Live Register.
The Deputy will accept that the circumstances of participants of the various employment schemes listed by the Deputy are not comparable to those persons receiving payments from the Department of Social Welfare and who will qualify for the concessions. The question of adjustment does not, therefore, arise.