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Employment Support Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2004

Wednesday, 10 November 2004

Ceisteanna (89)

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

135 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the training programmes which have been sourced by his Department in co-operation and consultation with training agencies in both the public and private sectors since 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28160/04]

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Freagraí scríofa

My Department assists and encourages long-term unemployed and other long-term welfare recipients to return to work, training or further education through a range of measures administered by the Department's employment support service.

One significant measure is the back to work allowance scheme which incentivises and encourages long-term unemployed people, lone parents and certain people with disabilities to return to work by allowing them to retain part of their social welfare payment when they take up employment or self employment. Another measure offered by my Department's employment support service is the back to education allowance programme.

Facilitators, based in social welfare local offices, can provide additional support to the more marginalised groups in the community, through the special projects fund. This fund enables facilitators to provide enhanced supports to people who need additional help to progress to further training and employment. The groups who need special help of this nature include the long-term ill and people with disabilities, the very long-term unemployed, Travellers, people with literacy difficulties and lone parents.

In addition to the special projects fund, funding is also available by way of the family services project. This funding focuses supports specifically towards some of the key national anti-poverty strategy target groups. It has developed an enhanced programme of support for a small group of customers with complex needs, for example, very young lone parents, parents rearing children without the support of a partner and dependent spouses on social welfare payments.

It is anticipated that the provision of the additional support involving individual attention, customised information and enhanced access to services will increase the capacity of those in the most difficult circumstances to improve their personal situations through the access to basic education, training and developmental opportunities made available.

Since 2002, over 500 special projects have been funded, co-founded or part funded by my Department. Since 2002, just under 200 family services projects have been centrally approved for funding, co-funding or part funding by my Department. I have arranged that further details of individual projects will be provided to the Deputy.

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