Data on the number of participants in activation programmes is reported on a monthly basis by the Central Statistics Office. The following table provides the number of participants on activation programmes at the county level in October 2018.
COUNTY
|
Back to work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA)
|
Short Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA)
|
Community Employment (CE) Participants
|
Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)
|
Tús*
|
Carlow
|
105
|
1
|
428
|
188
|
134
|
Cavan
|
172
|
6
|
311
|
87
|
120
|
Clare
|
226
|
8
|
451
|
173
|
149
|
Cork
|
503
|
20
|
1893
|
349
|
593
|
Donegal
|
350
|
13
|
1087
|
454
|
367
|
Dublin
|
1546
|
105
|
4617
|
1589
|
1306
|
Galway
|
304
|
20
|
1291
|
473
|
416
|
Kerry
|
238
|
13
|
970
|
377
|
228
|
Kildare
|
216
|
21
|
807
|
229
|
199
|
Kilkenny
|
189
|
5
|
466
|
161
|
98
|
Laois
|
143
|
5
|
274
|
158
|
116
|
Leitrim
|
130
|
4
|
191
|
60
|
77
|
Limerick
|
191
|
15
|
1131
|
449
|
273
|
Longford
|
153
|
1
|
308
|
75
|
103
|
Louth
|
275
|
12
|
794
|
355
|
207
|
Mayo
|
224
|
14
|
709
|
239
|
299
|
Meath
|
243
|
16
|
490
|
86
|
238
|
Monaghan
|
87
|
2
|
379
|
71
|
88
|
Offaly
|
167
|
13
|
358
|
198
|
154
|
Roscommon
|
142
|
4
|
256
|
52
|
72
|
Sligo
|
109
|
1
|
430
|
181
|
147
|
Tipperary
|
292
|
8
|
805
|
309
|
361
|
Waterford
|
290
|
5
|
703
|
381
|
286
|
Westmeath
|
198
|
6
|
594
|
167
|
102
|
Wexford
|
261
|
10
|
949
|
233
|
313
|
Wicklow
|
250
|
9
|
551
|
222
|
259
|
TOTAL
|
7004
|
337
|
21,243
|
7839
|
6705
|
Northern Ireland/Ireland
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[Table cont]
COUNTY
|
Gateway*
|
Part-time Job Incentive
|
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
|
SOLAS Training Programmes
|
Total
|
Carlow
|
0
|
3
|
-
|
100
|
859
|
Cavan
|
0
|
14
|
-
|
128
|
710
|
Clare
|
0
|
10
|
-
|
145
|
1017
|
Cork
|
0
|
17
|
-
|
760
|
3375
|
Donegal
|
0
|
5
|
-
|
278
|
2276
|
Dublin
|
0
|
57
|
-
|
1076
|
9920
|
Galway
|
0
|
13
|
-
|
196
|
2517
|
Kerry
|
0
|
8
|
-
|
242
|
1834
|
Kildare
|
0
|
9
|
-
|
324
|
1481
|
Kilkenny
|
0
|
4
|
-
|
85
|
923
|
Laois
|
1
|
5
|
-
|
84
|
702
|
Leitrim
|
0
|
8
|
-
|
79
|
470
|
Limerick
|
0
|
7
|
-
|
236
|
2066
|
Longford
|
0
|
10
|
-
|
57
|
650
|
Louth
|
0
|
23
|
-
|
246
|
1666
|
Mayo
|
0
|
4
|
-
|
90
|
1489
|
Meath
|
0
|
6
|
-
|
144
|
1079
|
Monaghan
|
0
|
7
|
-
|
79
|
634
|
Offaly
|
0
|
4
|
-
|
79
|
894
|
Roscommon
|
0
|
2
|
-
|
130
|
528
|
Sligo
|
0
|
11
|
-
|
95
|
879
|
Tipperary
|
1
|
30
|
-
|
243
|
1806
|
Waterford
|
0
|
12
|
-
|
310
|
1677
|
Westmeath
|
0
|
8
|
-
|
201
|
1075
|
Wexford
|
0
|
6
|
-
|
212
|
1772
|
Wicklow
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
110
|
1291
|
TOTAL
|
2
|
283
|
-
|
5729
|
49,142
|
Northern Ireland/Ireland
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
111
|
111***
|
|
|
|
5,000**
|
-
|
54,257
|
*Tús and Gateway figures are based on participant’s home address; other figures are by office location. Gateway is now closed to new applications.
**County figures for VTOS are not currently available
***A number of participants in SOLAS training schemes have home addresses in Northern Ireland or are recorded under a generic “Ireland”
Activation programmes form part of the Government’s overall policy to reduce unemployment. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register, and in particular the long-term unemployed.
These policies have shown positive results, with unemployment falling from over 15% in 2012 to 5.3% in November 2018. Demand for places on a number of activation programmes has thus fallen in line with the overall reduction in unemployment.
I am confident that policy to reduce unemployment, together with continuing economic recovery, will build on significant improvements in the labour market seen in recent years.