I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 84 together.
The job initiative is a work reintegration programme targeted at the very long-term unemployed, persons on the live register for five years or more and aged 35 years or over. Job initiative participants have access to three years temporary employment. The budget added an additional 875 places to the job initiative provision, bringing the total number of places available under the initiative to 2,875.
The first 1,000 job initiative participants are in the third and final year of their programme. An independent review of the pilot programme is being commissioned and any policy decisions regarding the future of the programme will be deferred until this report is to hand, which should be by June this year.
On the question of a further extension for the current participants, I have to stress that the fundamental objective of the programme is to facilitate their reintegration into the open labour market. As a general principle, it would not be fair to other very long-term unemployed persons who might avail of the programme.
On the positive side, I understand that a number of participants have already left the programme prior to completing three years in order to take up jobs. This is an encouraging sign of the programme's efficacy and of the motivation of participants. On the basis of experience gained a significant number of participants should be able to get jobs in the open labour market on completion of the programme and FÁS will provide progression advice and support to all participants in the lead up to completion. The managing agents for the job initiative have particular obligations in this regard also. I accept however that there may be some participants who face particular problems in taking this final step and can assure the Deputy that we will seek to deal with such cases in a sympathetic way.
