Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The national employment action plan, NEAP, operated jointly by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and FÁS, is the main welfare-to-work measure for jobseekers. The plan's process is fundamental in addressing the progression needs of those on the live register. It provides a stimulus to job search and affords an opportunity to explore, under professional guidance, the full range of employment and training services offered by FÁS.

Under the plan, all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching three months on the live register are identified by the Department and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to assisting them in entering or re-entering the labour market. The referral capacity under the plan has nearly doubled for 2009 from 6,500 cases per month to 12,250. In addition, the Government is now providing, through FÁS, a total of 128,000 training and activation places for unemployed people this year. There are also some 147,000 places available in further education programmes in 2009. This is a substantial increase on the number of places previously available. In response to the downturn in the construction industry sector and in recognition of the special difficulties faced by apprentices who are being laid off, the Department and FÁS are working together to facilitate them in finishing their apprenticeships.

The recent supplementary budget outlined a joint approach to activation by the Departments of Social and Family Affairs, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Education and Science. I introduced a package of measures relating to the Department's back to work enterprise allowance and back to education allowance to facilitate better access to supports. The package put together by the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Education and Science has some 11 proposals to provide 23,435 extra employment and training scheme places.

With the increasing number of people who are unemployed, the Government is continuing to develop and put in place new programmes to enhance the work experience and training opportunities for them. Two such initiatives, the work placement programme and a pilot short-time working training programme, were announced recently. Under both initiatives, participants will continue to receive their existing social welfare entitlements from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. These new programmes, together with those already in place, demonstrate a substantive commitment on the part of the Government to create and implement initiatives that support and assist those finding themselves without work.

See this speech in context