Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the Government policy in respect of school leavers access to welfare; and his targets in relation to education training and job placement for this cohort. [26625/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Deputy is referring specifically to jobseekers' payments. The Government has recognised for some years that it is undesirable for school leavers to receive social welfare payments immediately on leaving school. Their focus should be on accessing employment or further education in the first instance on leaving second level rather than looking towards welfare support. For this reason, second level students cannot access the jobseeker's allowance for three months after completion of the leaving certificate or after leaving education, whichever is the later. This provision does not apply to jobseeker's benefit, which is a contribution-based social insurance payment. Where the school leaver resides with a parent on social welfare, the qualified child increase continues to be paid for the three months on the parent's claim.

Recipients of jobseeker's payments are required to prove that they are available for full-time employment and genuinely seeking work. As part of this process, they must register with FÁS, which provides a wide range of training programmes for young people starting out in the workforce, such as the national traineeship programme, the local training initiative, and the apprenticeship scheme.

In addition, school leavers may also avail of Youthreach or the vocational training opportunities scheme, known as VTOS, administered by FÁS and the Department of Education and Science, for young people who have left school without qualifications. My Department, in co-operation with FÁS, encourages people to participate in work, training or education through the national employment action plan. Under this arrangement, people on the live register, including 18 and 19 year olds who are approaching three months on the live register, are referred by my Department to FÁS. My Department also administers support to people through the back to work and back to education programmes. Although the minimum age requirement for the back to education scheme is 21 years, special provision has been made to include people aged 18 to 20 years old who have been out of education for at least two years.

My Department, through initiatives such as the special projects fund and the family services project, supports, funds and is directly involved in a number of local initiatives to assist 18 and 19 year old people move from welfare to work or on to further education or training.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Examples of such activities are the Revamp project, targeted at young people with low skills or educational attainment in the Longford area and funding in respect of a training project for a group of early school leavers based in Sligo.

I am keen to ensure that young people do not develop long-term dependency on social welfare payments. My Department will continue to promote initiatives to encourage young people to participate in work, education or training.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I have a question in respect of policy. Having had full employment for a number of years, does the Minister believe it is acceptable that a considerable number of teenagers are on unemployment payments? The most recent figures from May 2007 show that 7,500 teenagers are in receipt of such payments. It is hard to understand the justification for that in a situation where we have full employment. The fact that 7,500 teenagers are drawing the dole is an indictment of the education system. It is also an indictment of the Minister's Department because there has not been adequate intervention in those cases. Many parents feel strongly that it should not be so easy for teenagers to move from school or training to the dole. What is the policy in respect of this matter? Does the Minister accept it is not generally seen as desirable that teenagers should be facilitated in this way because it can set bad habits in terms of their future careers? What policy is the Minister pursuing to ensure it will not happen?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I agree it is not desirable for young people coming out of school to look immediately to the welfare system because that is detrimental to their energy and enthusiasm for work. Of the 7,500 under 20 years of age on the welfare system, 3,800 had been referred to FÁS as of 19 October last. The relationship between the Department and FÁS is crucial to moving people onto schemes as quickly as possible and getting them into work.

There are extenuating circumstances in some cases. The situation is not as black and white as it might appear, or as we might like it to be, because some kids come from families which live on social welfare. We need to interact with those kids immediately to show them there is an alternative, and that a better quality of life is available if they work and have a sense of self-worth and feel they contribute to society.

We are trying to co-ordinate the Departments and their agencies better than we did in the past.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Is the Minister aware that of the 7,500 teenagers on the dole almost 1,000 have been unemployed for over a year? While some have been referred to FÁS there are no active interventions for young people whom the education system has failed. Has the Minister set targets for the number of school leavers and early school leavers to be facilitated by training, education or employment opportunities by FÁS? This seems to be tokenism and nobody is serious about tackling the problem.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I do not agree this is tokenism. A hell of a lot of good people work in the community to try to get these kids into the workplace. The State has significant resources in the Departments and their agencies.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Has the Minister set targets?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may feel it is unacceptable to have 1,000 on the welfare system for over a year, but if she examined the individual cases she would know how difficult they are.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Has the Minister targets?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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My target is simple. I would prefer there were no school leavers on the social welfare system but that kids came out of school and into whatever training needed to get into the workforce.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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That is just a wild generalisation. Is the Minister doing anything about the problem?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am. I have told the Deputy about the relationship between FÁS and the Department. The systems at FÁS are available to explain all of that. We have to be fair to these people too.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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How many of those people have got training places? There is no point referring them unless there is some outcome. The Minister obviously does not know anything about the outcomes.