Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 79 and 95 together.

As the Deputies will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include the JobPath service and the community employment programme.

The JobPath service aims to place people in full-time sustainable employment. The period of engagement with the service for any individual is typically 52 weeks. During that time he or she receives intensive individual support to help him or her to overcome barriers to employment.

While the community employment programme is a stepping stone back to employment, the positions are not full-time sustainable jobs. It is worth noting, however, that people who have completed their year long engagement with JobPath may, if eligible, apply for a community employment scheme vacancy.

The Deputies will appreciate that the welcome increase in the number of people at work and the continued reduction in live register numbers is a factor in recruitment to all work programmes and the private sector generally. Nevertheless, it should be noted that I recently announced changes to the terms and conditions for participation in the community employment programme. My effort is to widen the pool of people who can apply and, therefore, help to fill the vacancies in that way. The changes being introduced will see the general qualifying age for the community employment programme for those on the live register reducing from 25 years to 21. This will open the programme to all young jobseekers who will be paid the full adult rate if they take up a community employment scheme position. These clients will meet a case officer in the same way as all age categories of applicants do. As part of the implementation of the new measures, my Department is consulting key stakeholders across the country. If any scheme is experiencing particular difficulties, it is asked to contact the Intreo office for further assistance.

See this speech in context