asked the Minister for Social Welfare in relation to the 19,000 people whom he stated in January 1988 had left the live register because of the Jobsearch scheme (a) the number who subsequently transferred to sickness benefit or supplementary benefit (b) the number who indicated that they were emigrating and (c) the number who subsequently rejoined the register.
Written Answers. - Live Register Statistics.
22.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 22 together.
I presume that Deputy Mac Giolla is referring to my statement in January last in which I indicated that, arising from the operation of the national Jobsearch programme in 1987, 4,239 were placed in employment, 12,724 left the live register voluntarily and a further 1,951 had their cases reviewed resulting in disallowances.
The most recent figures indicate that a total of 598 applications for disability benefit were processed from among the 14,675 who either signed off or were disallowed during 1987 and that 319 of these claims were still in payment at the beginning of 1988.
My Department does not have complete returns from health boards in relation to the number of persons who applied for and were refused or were granted supplementary welfare allowance as a result of having either signed off the live register or been disallowed unemployment payments because of the Jobsearch programme. Indications from health boards are that the impact on the supplementary welfare allowance scheme as a result of the programme is insignificant.
I have no information in relation to persons emigrating.
Approximately three-quarters of those who signed off or were disallowed in 1987 arising from the Jobsearch programme were still off the live register at the end of the year.