Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 3

Written Answers. - Summer Jobs Scheme.

Brendan Kenneally

Ceist:

437 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the decision to restrict the number of people a sponsor may recruit under the 1999 summer jobs scheme in view of the problems it will cause for community groups who are running summer camps, play schemes, and so on and the problems it will cause for groups who are providing services for the handicapped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10239/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The purpose of the students summer jobs scheme is to provide income support during the summer holiday period for less well-off third level students who are disqualified from receiving unemployment assistance and who are unable to obtain summer work.

The scheme will operate from 1 June 1999 to 31 August 1999 and students will be allowed to undertake 200 hours work at £3 per hour.

This year, sponsors are being limited to a maximum of ten students each in order to ensure a more even spread of students among all sponsors. Last year, over 1,000 sponsors (mainly community-based organisations) failed to get any students for their projects. Over the past five years, it has been the larger statutory bodies (such as county councils and health boards) who have accounted for the largest number of students to the detriment of the smaller community-based organisations who were unable to attract any students or insufficient numbers of students to their projects. Our experience suggests that, in any event, the vast majority of the smaller organisations require less than ten students.