Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The key policy intervention concerning people on the live register at present is the national employment action plan preventive strategy which was first introduced in 1998 and rolled out nationwide in subsequent years. This process involves a more systematic engagement with the unemployed. On reaching a three month threshold on the live register, individuals aged between 18 and 64 years are referred by the Department of Social and Family Affairs to FÁS, where they are called in for interview and assessment.

Following the initial intervention clients would be expected to progress to training or employment. If appropriate, FÁS employment services and the local employment services will support all unemployed people with such progression, including those over 55 years of age. Clients may be placed on one of a range of employment and training programmes including, in particular, community employment, CE. Community employment provides eligible unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis.

It also helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and offering the opportunity to enhance and develop their technical and personal skills.

In addition my colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, has responsibility for supporting the community and voluntary sector through the community services programme. The objective of this programme is to support local community activity to address disadvantage, while also providing local employment opportunities.

Unemployed persons in receipt of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit and other disadvantaged groups are eligible to participate in this programme once they meet the criteria which can be found on the website of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, www.pobail.ie.

I assure the Deputy that I will continue to do everything to provide a range of proactive job-related services, supports and programmes to assist individuals to enter or re-enter the active labour market.

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