Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy has acknowledged that we have made necessary changes and I am open to making more. We need to ensure that we keep qualifying criteria for the link with social welfare. We must also ensure that there is a time lag because problems can arise if there is no waiting time.

The Deputy referred to graduates. Traditionally, we have not gone beyond the higher diploma. I accept that there are graduates on the live register, but they can also benefit from the work placement programme and hold on to their social welfare benefits. This may enable them to become more prepared for employment. There are other options available for people. Through FÁS, the Department of Education and Science and the PLC courses, a great number of additional places have also been made available. There are people who may not qualify for the back to the education allowance but who would qualify for the third level grant. That would allow people to continue with their education.

I meet with groups all the time but if there are other practical suggestions that allow more people to participate then I am very open to that. The numbers went up by 88% last year but because more people will be qualifying again this year, more people will be participating as well. We issued a mailshot to 18 to 25 year olds this time last year, and this was quite successful because it forced them to look at it. People who work with the young unemployed said that to me. When they suddenly got a letter about education it set them thinking in that direction. A targeted mailshot might work again.

I come in here every month and tell Deputies that I am more than willing to take on ideas because it is such a difficult area and we all want to do something. However, I do not always get these suggestions. When I do get them, I try to take them on board.

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