Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They are leaving. It is a brain drain. Job activation must become far more aggressive. It is not working enough. I am of the view that all we are doing is tinkering at the edges. What must be done is that the witnesses must promote the schemes to employers outlining what social protection benefits applicants can still avail of - for example, rent allowance, medical cards and so on - while taking up a job that pays 1.5 times the minimum wage. An employer will tell me that a person attending for interview will ask him or her to sign a form saying the person has applied for a job, which is a requirement for continuing to receive social welfare.

This is not hanging together. For that reason I agree with Deputy Daly regarding the lack of ambition for the Gateway programme. I am saying there is a lack of ambition in the entire social protection system. What is the take-up of Gateway in Galway and what is the profile of those who are engaging in it? I apologise if this question was answered in my absence.

There is very good intent in the JobsPlus initiative. What is the minimum income a person must be earning so that an employer can recoup the €10,000 for someone who is out of work for more than 24 months? What evidence is there to tell us how many employers know about the scheme? That is one of the more positive schemes.