Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter for discussion. I necessarily agree that we should encourage everybody who is able to work to do so if at all possible. That is why every effort is made by the Government, including the Tánaiste and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to make the case that work always pays and should always pay. That is why much of the work of the Government in the past two and a half years has been on strengthening pay and conditions and the work environment. The protections are in place. There is sick pay legislation coming into effect, there is auto-enrolment, and the minimum wage has gone up by 80%. Therefore, every effort is being made to make sure it is worthwhile going to work. In the majority of cases, it absolutely is. A range of supports is available to the cohort in question to take up work or obtain training and skills. We constantly work to encourage people to take up work. There are extra caseworkers assigned under Pathways to Work to work with the newly unemployed or long-term unemployed so they can find their way back into work, avail of the supports and join up the dots.

The job placement programme is a really useful one to encourage people to get used to a work environment again and get close to a job. We try to encourage everyone to participate in the schemes. When someone is at work, everyone generally benefits, including the community, business and the person’s family.

With regard to the payments of €12, the response in the budget is a cost-of-living initiative to recognise that everyone on a fixed income, regardless of the reason, is under extreme pressure when it comes to paying bills. Likewise, anybody who is going to work is also under pressure. That is why we made changes to the tax system, the working family payment and other payments, again recognising there is a cost-of-living pressure. The argument in this regard is different from the argument as to who can avail of what scheme in normal times. That is what the response is about.

Pathways to Work is a document that tries to focus our efforts on encouraging everybody who could be at work but who is not to return to work. It is to make it easier for them. Everybody has a unique story, and our caseworkers understand that. The range of schemes allows the journey to happen in different ways for different people. I encourage everybody not in work to return to work through education, training, placements or apprenticeships. There is a range of initiatives. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, is very much behind these and driving them, along with other key Departments, including the Department of Education and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.