Written Answers. - Employment Support Services.
David Stanton
Ceist:
167
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the number of jobs facilitators employed by his Department to deal with those participating in the back to work allowance scheme each year since its inception; the average caseload of these job facilitators; whether it is at a level where participants can expect to receive a meaningful level of support; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19764/98]
David Stanton
Ceist:
168
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the steps, if any, he has taken in relation to the evaluation of the back to work allowance scheme launched by him in October 1997 in order to address the substantial demands made by job facilitators for training in business, start up and planning, book keeping, taxation, business constancy, marketing methods and business management; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19765/98]
David Stanton
Ceist:
169
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the number availing of the back to work allowance scheme each year since 1994 to date; the number of those opting for self-employment; the resources, if any, put in place or planned for the employment support services operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19766/98]
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 167 to 169, inclusive, together.
Jobs facilitators form the core of my Department's employment support service. The service, which was established in 1993 at a time when the level of unemployment was increasing, was intended to support and encourage unemployed people, particularly the long-term unemployed, to take up employment or self-employment and to help in directing available employment, training, etc. opportunities to them. The back-to-work allowance was introduced at the same time as a specific incentive for long-term unemployed people to ease the transition back into the active workforce.
The range of supports which job facilitators could provide has expanded over the years. My Department has 30 jobs facilitators operating at local level throughout the country. Ten were appointed initially in 1993, a further ten in 1994 and the remainder in 1995. In addition there are ten co-ordinators at regional level to whom the job facilitators report and a central support unit for the employment support service generally.
Jobs facilitators have been particularly successful in encouraging over 40,000 unemployed people to take up employment or self-employment opportunities with the support of the back-to-work allowance. Advice and expertise in relation to business start-up, marketing, book-keeping, etc. is widely available from organisations such as FÁS, the local employment service and the area based partnership companies. Jobs facilitators will arrange training for unemployed people starting a business with these organisations and also with professional companies which specialise in relevant training in that area.
The total number of Back to Work allowance participants at the end of December each year since 1994 and the number of those in self-employment is as follows:
|
Number of Participants
|
Self Employed
|
|
1994
|
4,816
|
3,180
|
|
1995
|
10,120
|
6,272
|
|
1996
|
16,145
|
8,904
|
|
1997
|
21,101
|
10,062
|
|
1998 (to date)
|
22,582
|
9,585
|
The work of the job facilitators, together with the efforts made by my Department's local office and investigative staff has, in my view, contributed significantly to the major reduction in the live register which has been achieved in recent times. It is my intention that these efforts will be intensified and that a pro-active approach aimed at helping unemployed people back into employment, training, education etc., will continue to be a central feature of the Department's service to clients. Improved co-operation with other staff agencies such as FÁS and the local employment service will be an important feature of this approach.
The evaluation of the Back to Work allowance which was commissioned by my Department, and which I published last year, highlighted the importance of an adequate range of supports for unemployed people wishing to return to the workforce and recommended an expansion in the current role of the jobs facilitators to assist in this.
I am considering how best the range of my Department's services for unemployed people might be developed in the future and will be considering the role of the job facilitators in that context.
