Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Minister for taking this matter, as I know she and her Department are focused on reforming this area. The Pathways to Work scheme will do much to provide focus and a plan of action for helping people get training and advice for getting back to employment. I regularly encounter people who fall through the gaps in the system of labour activation, as they are not eligible for some types of training. The recession has greatly changed the composition of those on the dole and people who have never relied on social security or protection are now finding it difficult to navigate the system. I am worried about many stories I have heard about people working for many years, contributing to the State through taxes and PRSI, suddenly finding themselves in part-time work for a period and later becoming unemployed. They are often married or in long-term partnerships. Initially people are eligible for jobseeker's allowance but they can fall through the gaps as they would not be entirely reliant on social welfare. If there is another income in the household, it may not be enough once mortgages, bills and college fees for upskilling are paid. This often means that when an entitlement expires, these people can no longer access community employment schemes, re-training or upskilling programmes run by the Department.

I will cite a recent example of such a case, which involves a woman who worked in the same company for 20 years. When her employer experienced trading difficulty, the woman took a pay cut and moved to a three day week for a period. She signed on for a social welfare payment as a part-time employee but was later made redundant and was paid the full rate of jobseeker's allowance. She went through the national employment action plan process and sought to access training. However, she became ineligible for community employment, upskilling or retraining when her entitlement to jobseeker's allowance expired. I regularly receive queries from people who have fallen into the same trap and do not qualify for training or upskilling programmes that would enable them to return to work because they no longer receive a social welfare benefit.

The individuals affected by this problem belong to the coping classes, in other words, those who have worked throughout their lives to put their children through college. Having reached their late 40s or early 50s, they are being thrown on the scrap heap because the current rules prevent them from accessing training programmes that are offered to many other people. The shortest period that any of the individuals who have contacted me has been in full employment and paying tax and PRSI is 23 years. Despite being in full-time employment for 30 or 35 years, the individuals in question find they are not entitled to back to education allowances or to participate in upskilling or training courses because their partner is working. I ask the Minister to ensure this issue is examined in her Department and look forward to her reply.

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