Ms Helen Faughnan:

It is true. The one-to-one engagement we have with clients is as crucial as the group engagements. It is our new way of interacting with them. We are hitting bigger volumes of people. We are also looking at job fairs. We took part in several, for example, in Balbriggan, Blanchardstown and Kilkenny, where there were employers and unemployed representatives, including the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed. A good deal of briefing and interaction went on between employees and employers. We are using various methods to communicate with both sides of the coin because they are equally important in empowering the employees.

I referred to the extra involvement with our staff and the take-up on the Gateway scheme. We have started it and we are engaging with 22 local authorities. Senator Healy Eames asked about Galway city. Our local people there have met the local authorities. They met two weeks ago and another meeting is scheduled for the middle of October. The initial number of places is approximately 40 but there will be ongoing interaction. We are looking at approximately 55 people initially under Galway County Council.