The total number of persons on the live register as of end January 2006 is 160,100. The live register comprises 64,100 people receiving unemployment benefit, 86,100 receiving unemployment assistance and 9,900 signing for credits. Based on the seasonally adjusted live register of 157,400 and using CSO methodology, the estimated standardised unemployment rate for end January 2006 is 4.3%.
A number of measures were announced in the 2006 budget to assist social welfare recipients return to work. These include the reduction in the periods required to access the back to work scheme. I have reduced the period required to access the self employed strand of the scheme from three to two years for people on unemployment payments and from five to two years for the employee strand. I have also introduced a 50% tapered withdrawal of earnings between €60 and €90 per week for rent and mortgage interest supplement.
My Department also administers the back to education allowance programme. This is a second chance educational opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities to improve their skills and qualifications with a view to returning to the work force. There were 7,308 participants in the scheme for the 2004-05 year.
My Department maintains ongoing contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in developing policies and enhancing programmes to encourage and assist unemployed people to return to work. Under the national employment plan, unemployed customers aged 18 to 55 years are referred to FÁS for guidance in terms of returning to education, training or employment. The plan was recently reviewed by independent consultants and I have asked my officials, in conjunction with officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS, to review the recommendations.
