Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals she has made to Government to merge the employment services section of FÁS with her Department. [34859/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are no plans to merge the Employment Support Services of FÁS with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. FÁS and the Department work together in a complementary way and I have not made any such proposals to the Government on behalf of people on social welfare payments.

A high degree of cooperation and coordination exists at both policy and operational level between the Department of Social and Family Affairs and FÁS. Both sides operate under a memorandum of understanding which is updated periodically. Senior officials of the department hold regular joint meetings with FÁS and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. There are also regular meetings between officials of the Department and FÁS at regional and local level.

The Department works closely with FÁS in providing opportunities for people on social welfare to access the range of training and employment services afforded by that organisation. An important area of this cooperation is in relation to the joint National Employment Action Plan whereby people are referred to FÁS when they reach 3 months on the live register.

Provision has also been made in the National Development Plan for a Social and Economic Participation Programme aimed at all people of working age on welfare regardless of the circumstances that led them to require income maintenance. The Activation sub-programme of the National Development Plan involves the Department of Social and Family Affairs, in co-operation with the relevant agencies such as FÁS, VECs, HSE and other local agencies engaging on an individual case basis with those people on welfare who are not progressing into employment or accessing training or employment opportunities.

The main element of the National Development Plans Activation sub-programme is to expand the Department's facilitator service with each facilitator having a defined work programme. A "Disability Employment Project" commenced in 2008 under the European Social Fund; this involves the Department working with FÁS and other agencies to support people with Disabilities in reaching their potential.

These initiatives are being undertaken in response to the Department's recognition that social welfare payments require to be supplemented by activation measures to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on social welfare payments.

I am satisfied that the existing arrangements with FÁS together with the supporting activation measures undertaken by the Department ensure that the social and economic progression of those most marginalised are being adequately addressed.