Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I understand the Deputy is referring specifically to jobseekers' payments. The Government has recognised for some years that it is undesirable for school leavers to receive social welfare payments immediately on leaving school. Their focus should be on accessing employment or further education in the first instance on leaving second level rather than looking towards welfare support. For this reason, second level students cannot access the jobseeker's allowance for three months after completion of the leaving certificate or after leaving education, whichever is the later. This provision does not apply to jobseeker's benefit, which is a contribution-based social insurance payment. Where the school leaver resides with a parent on social welfare, the qualified child increase continues to be paid for the three months on the parent's claim.

Recipients of jobseeker's payments are required to prove that they are available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. As part of this process, they must register with FÁS, which provides a wide range of training programmes for young people starting out in the workforce, such as the national traineeship programme, the local training initiative, and the apprenticeship scheme.

In addition, school leavers may also avail of Youthreach or the vocational training opportunities scheme, known as VTOS, administered by FÁS and the Department of Education and Science, for young people who have left school without qualifications. My Department, in co-operation with FÁS, encourages people to participate in work, training or education through the national employment action plan. Under this arrangement, people on the live register, including 18 and 19 year olds who are approaching three months on the live register, are referred by my Department to FÁS. My Department also administers support to people through the back to work and back to education programmes. Although the minimum age requirement for the back to education scheme is 21 years, special provision has been made to include people aged 18 to 20 years old who have been out of education for at least two years.

My Department, through initiatives such as the special projects fund and the family services project, supports, funds and is directly involved in a number of local initiatives to assist 18 and 19 year old people move from welfare to work or on to further education or training.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Examples of such activities are the Revamp project, targeted at young people with low skills or educational attainment in the Longford area and funding in respect of a training project for a group of early school leavers based in Sligo.

I am keen to ensure that young people do not develop long-term dependency on social welfare payments. My Department will continue to promote initiatives to encourage young people to participate in work, education or training.

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