I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 27, 40, 47, 55, 61 and 82 together.
A total of 4,879 young persons were referred for interview to FÁS in the period 1 September 1998 to end January 1999 as part of the support measures in place under the employment action plan. Fifty eight per cent of these attended for interview while 1,671, or 34 per cent of those referred, did not attend for interview. Of those who did not attend, 652, or 13 per cent of those referred in this period, were still on the live register by end February 1999. Of those persons interviewed by FÁS, 35 per cent were placed in a job or training and a further 5 per cent were referred to a training programme.
Of those persons interviewed by FÁS and not yet placed in a job or on a FÁS programme, 20 per cent continue to receive FÁS supports following their first guidance interview. No further action was being taken in relation to the remaining 23 per cent of cases. Cases where persons drop out of contact or decline an offer of intervention are referred for review by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.
Full details of the outcomes for persons referred for supports under the employment action plan are available from the regular monthly reports on the plan. The monthly report covering the end January position of the cumulative referrals to date is available in the Dáil Library. I am giving preliminary details in this reply from report number five which covers the period to end February and will be published next week.
I have recently received a report of the outcomes of the first cohort of 884 referrals, in September 1998, and their outcomes in the months subsequent to the referral process. This shows that by the end of the fifth month of operation of the employment action plan, 78 per cent of the original cohort of September referrals had left the live register and 66 per cent of these had left for identified positive reasons, namely, 42 per cent to a job, 16 per cent to a FÁS programme and 8 per cent to re-enter education. This indicates the progress being made in achieving the results set out in the plan.