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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 7 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 2

Written Answers. - Summer Jobs Scheme.

Gerry Reynolds

Ceist:

437 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the numbers availing of the students summer jobs scheme in each of the past three years; the way in which these figures compare with the number of positions available on those schemes, in view of the shortfall of students who qualify for those jobs; if all students studying at third level should be eligible; if he will extend the criteria to include students who have just completed the leaving certificate; and if he will reduce the number of hours from 200 to 150 or increase the payment taking inflation into account. [8217/02]

The primary purpose of the students summer jobs scheme is to provide financial help to less well off third level students who do not have access to unemployment payments during the summer. The scheme allows students to take up part-time work useful to their community and to receive payment for this work.

A total of 9,200 students availed of the scheme in 1999, 5,883 in 2000 and 4,965 in 2001. The number of projects made available by sponsors for each of those three years was 23,473, 20,961 and 15,233 respectively.

There are no plans to open up the scheme to all third level students or to those who have just completed their leaving certificate. Resources should be channelled where the need is greatest and the focus of the scheme must remain on providing less well off students with an income, rather than filling all the jobs offered by sponsors.

Similarly, I do not intend to change the number of hours which can be worked under the scheme or the rate of pay per hour. The scheme is not intended to compete with jobs available on the open labour market. The diversion of such an employable group of workers from commercial employment could have a very negative impact on many seasonal industries, such as the tourism industry, which is dependent on student participation.

The decline in student interest in the scheme in recent years is due to the wider availability of summer jobs and is a very encouraging trend. It is obviously better for students to obtain work in the open labour market during the summer months, than to have to rely on support from the State.

Question No. 438 answered with Question No. 436.

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