Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The national employment action plan is the main welfare to work measure under which all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching three months on the live register are identified by the Department of Social Protection and referred to FÁS for interview, with a view to helping them re-enter the labour market. The provisions contained in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 will enhance the operation plan in two key areas. First, to incentivise participation in training and education programmes provided under the plan, rates of jobseeker's payments and associated rates of supplementary welfare allowance are being reduced where a recipient unreasonably refuses to participate in a course of training arranged by this Department or FÁS or fails to avail of an opportunity to participate in the plan. Second, the one-parent family payment scheme is being amended with a view, inter alia, to providing lone parents with greater access to education, training and enabling services such as child care provision to allow them acquire the skills they will need to gain employment.

These measures will work in tandem with the integration of FÁS functions into the Department of Social Protection and initiatives such as customer profiling as part of a strongly activation focused welfare system. In addition, the existing rural social scheme and community services programme will shortly transfer to my Department. Taken together, these will ensure that long-term systemic unemployment and welfare dependency will not take hold. In providing for these measures, we are determined that reductions in jobseeker's payment rates will only apply where there is a clear lack of engagement by the welfare recipient with an appropriate activation intervention. Any decision made in this area will be open to the independent appeals process.

In light of increased demand, the Government is now providing, through FÁS, a total of 128,000 training and activation places for the unemployed this year. This is a substantial increase on the approximately 66,000 places provided last year. There is a wide range of education and training opportunities available through this Department, the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS for lone parents and jobseekers to strengthen their qualifications and skills base to maximise their chances of meeting the requirements of the modern labour market and gain employment.

When lone parents claim jobseeker's allowance, they will actively engage with the national employment action plan, with a referral to FÁS and access to the range of employment and training services offered by FÁS. They will be supported in this by the new scheme recently announced by the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs. This new child care education and training scheme will provide free child care for those attending FÁS and VEC courses. It is not anticipated that these measures in the Bill will lead to significant costs.

The Department is fully committed to the timely and accurate processing of customer claims and to delivering the best possible service to its customers. To this end, operational processes and procedures and the organisation of work are reviewed in all areas of the Department. These reviews are supported by modern technology, the potential of which is continually harnessed. Claims are processed in the most efficient and expeditious way possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply to each scheme.

Processing times vary across schemes owing to the volume of applications and the differing qualification criteria. For example, means assessments are required for all social assistance schemes, medical examinations are required for some illness related schemes and customers must also satisfy the habitual residence conditions. In the case of insurance-based schemes, it may be necessary to ascertain details of foreign insurance records.

Many factors outside the Department's control can impact upon claim processing times, such as the supply of relevant information by the customer, employers, other EU countries or other third parties. Plans are in train to begin devolving certain decisions to branch offices on a phased basis. The process will begin in three or four of the larger branch offices and will identify if there are training or other issues that need to be addressed before being rolled out to all branch offices. The process will require some level of training for branch managers. The branch offices will deal with four categories of claims: jobseeker's benefit claims with full contribution histories, unlimited payments between 65 and 66 years of age, credit cases, and second or subsequent children where the full or half-rate has already been established.

While every effort is made to decide on entitlement for any individual person as close to their eligibility date as possible, there are cases where delays will necessarily be experienced. In situations where customers find themselves suffering financial hardship while awaiting such a decision, the facility to receive supplementary welfare allowance funded by the Department and administered by the Health Service Executive is available. In April 2010, more than 96% of basic supplementary welfare allowance applications were decided on and paid within a week.

The national average processing times for jobseeker claims during May was 2.43 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 6.58 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. This compares with processing times of 2.33 weeks and 6.92 weeks, respectively, in April. The total number of jobseekers awaiting a decision on their claim at 29 May was just over 45,000. This is a reduction of more than 3,000 compared with the figures one month earlier on 24 April 2010, and represents 9% of the total jobseeker claims load nationwide.

Many speakers have made known their views on this Bill, but we are all of the same opinion that we have a section of society which needs the support of the Government, the reasons for which are often outside the control of that section of society. They are not in a position to gain employment and, therefore, the State has a responsibility to ensure this is provided. It is a well-known fact that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, has always taken an holistic view on issues that are important to communities and to persons. I have no doubt he will develop that inside the Department as he becomes more engaged in the matter.

People should not try to misinterpret any statements the Minister made on social welfare. He said there are no plans for any changes and budgetary matters are for the budget and not for earlier announcements. That said, I commend the Bill to the House.