Vol. 417 No. 5
439 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people on County Meath who qualified for the part-time worker's allowance; if he will explain the low level of take-up of this allowance generally; and if he will outline the steps he proposes to take to ensure a larger take-up.
The part-time job incentive scheme is designed to allow long term unemployed persons to work part-time for up to 24 hours a week while receiving a flat rate allowance instead of their unemployment payments. The scheme was introduced on a pilot basis in September 1986 and was extended nationwide at the end of 1988. The allowances are currently £35 for a single person and £58 for a married person with a dependent spouse. There are 323 persons participating in the scheme at present of which 25 reside in the Meath area.
Persons accepted onto the scheme are taken off the live register and participation is limited to one year. Surveys have shown that the comparatively low level of take-up may be attributable to the drop in transfer income participants may initially experience. However, the combination of the allowance and the wages from the part-time job ensures that the participant is better off than if he or she had remained on the live register.
I believe that this scheme has considerable potential as an incentive for long term unemployed people to get back into the workforce and I will be examining ways in which the scheme can be further developed and effectively promoted.
