The employment incentive scheme has operated as a social scheme since the end of 1989 with the objective of encouraging employers to recruit persons who are long term unemployed, early school leavers and other categories of disadvantaged persons. As such, I propose to answer the question in respect of the scheme as it operated since the end of 1989. During the period 1990 to end May 1994, 8.590 persons were recruited under the scheme but information is not available on the number of these persons still in employment as the scheme does not require employers to provide such information.
Expenditure on the scheme during the period 1990 to end May, 1994, amounted to £17.231 million of which £10.250 million approximately is Exchequer funding and the balance is EU funding. EU funding is only received in respect of actual expenditure.
The level of payment to an employer depends on the category of person recruited but the average payment in respect of each recruit would be £2,000 approximately.