Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

The Government is tackling unemployment generally through the twin strategies of the action plan for jobs and the Pathways to Work scheme. The aim of the action plan for jobs is to support the creation of 100,000 net new jobs by 2016, while the objective of Pathways to Work is to provide those who are unemployed with the appropriate training and skills to avail of the job opportunities which will arise as the economy recovers. The long-term unemployed are a priority target group for the measures in Pathways to Work.

While many of the new measures included in the action plan for jobs are not confined to those who are long-term unemployed, they will be of particular relevance to their needs. For example, the microenterprise loan fund will provide funds for people who wish to start businesses in their local economies but have been refused credit by the banks. Other measures such as the Revenue job assist scheme, which is used by employers to take on persons who are long-term unemployed, are being promoted both by extension of the coverage of the schemes in the Finance Bill and through the dissemination of information. The employer job (PRSI) incentive scheme has been simplified and extended. This scheme provides exemption from the payment of employer PRSI contributions for 18 months when a qualifying unemployed person is recruited.

Under Pathways to Work, the Department of Social Protection is committed to supporting over 85,000 job placement, work experience and back to education beneficiaries this year, including through the JobBridge internship programme. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, has announced 1,000 additional places on JobBridge this year. The Department of Education and Skills will provide more than 450,000 education and training places this year across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors, including through the Springboard programme. More than 3,500 people have graduated from the first round of Springboard programmes, which were put in place in 2011, and the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, recently announced a further 6,000 new places on the programme for 2012.

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