Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who availed of the activation and family support programme in 2022 to fund the cost of training supports and education courses for people on social welfare in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18137/24]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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What is the number of persons who have availed of the activation and family support programme in 2022 to fund the cost of training supports and education courses for people on social welfare in Cork?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department's activation and family support programme provides funding to assist local organisations and agencies to implement training and education initiatives to address the needs of recipients of welfare payments and their families who are distant from the labour market. The programme is demand-led and is designed to fund one-off projects in response to local customer needs, as identified by local organisations. Applications for co-funding are made to a Department employment personal adviser. Programmes covered can include pre-employment courses, literacy skills, return to education courses and personal development programmes. Payments were made to ten organisations nationally during 2022 under the activation and family support programme, with expenditure of some €222,000. In County Cork, funding was provided to two organisations in 2022 with expenditure of €59,000 to support the provision of training to some 90 people. This included funding in respect of programmes taking place in 2022 and also payment for programmes completed prior to 2022. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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It goes without saying that we all understand the merits of this programme and would like to see it continue to be funded in the future.

I looked at previous parliamentary questions from over the years and was interested to learn that the funding in 2008 was €5.4 million, but in 2012 it was just €2.5 million. It has gradually reduced. The last figure I have in this parliamentary question was from 2017, when it was down to just over €500,000. What the Minister has just stated demonstrates that the funding provided for this programme has continued to decline over the years. Is that because it has been replaced by other programmes, or courses that people have been allowed to avail of? Can it be attributed to a lack of demand as a result of the high employment rate we have in the country? Will the Minister explain why the funding decreased to such a magnitude after 2008, from €5.5 million then to just over €500,000 in 2017?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. The activation support programme provides funding to local organisations and agencies to implement training and education initiatives. It is focused on the needs of social welfare recipients, and their families, who are very distant from the labour market. There is a plethora of other initiatives that help people to get back into the labour force. The Department makes a number of grants available to people who are long-term unemployed, or to employers, to help them to get back to work. I refer to the EmployAbility programme, the local area employment services and a number of different programmes. This programme is demand-led and supports employment service teams to work with local organisations to provide a tailored response to local training needs. Where initiatives are funded through this scheme, the Department can provide co-funding of up to 50% of the overall cost. The Government has provided €600,000 for the scheme in 2024.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. As she said, the service is demand-led. It comes down to the area manager, the welfare office or the case officer dealing with the people to decide if the applicant is eligible for the service. The Minister has acknowledged in her response that up to 50% of the overall cost is also covered. Does the Department have any intention to review that 50% allocation or will that remain the case going forward? Second, the Minister mentioned that two organisations in Cork are availing of this funding in 2022. If possible, will she let me know what those two organisations are? Is there a plan to extend the funding to any further organisations in the future?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The expenditure in Cork involved the provision of €59,000 to two organisations: the social and health education project, SHEP, and Cork Education and Training Board. SHEP is an Irish community education and development organisation based in Ballintemple, County Cork. It received funding towards the provision of its certificate of personal development in a number of locations in Cork. Cork Education and Training Board received funding in 2022 that related to its return to work programme, which was held in 2018 and 2019. In 2023, funding of €31,000 was provided to one organisation in County Cork, the social and health education programme.

This is a demand-led programme. The Department currently provides 50% of the overall cost. A detailed proposal is received by the Department which includes the details of the proposed participants and comprehensive information on the duration and structure of the programme. In fairness, the Department approves the applications well in advance of the course starting.