Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has had discussions regarding inter-departmental pooling of funds in terms of training and resources that will be available for social welfare in the event of continued increases in unemployment figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9132/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Social welfare payments are provided for by voted expenditure from the exchequer and the Social Insurance Fund. In the current economic climate the Government recognises that we must do all we can to support people who become unemployed. Social welfare payments are a crucial part of this support, but income support alone is not sufficient. We must also do all we can to help get people back to work.

FÁS is the National Training and Employment Authority and the main agency to provide jobseeking support to all individuals on the live register who are seeking employment or education opportunities. Currently, all persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years who are approaching 3 months on the Live Register are identified by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to assisting them enter/re-enter the labour market. In addition there are a range of other education and employment supports available to persons in receipt of welfare payments. These initiatives are designed to assist and facilitate people on social welfare payments to return to the active labour force. Included in these measures is the back to work allowance and back to education allowance.

The Department of Social and Family Affairs facilitators work closely with FÁS and other agencies at national and local level to identify and target appropriate education, training and development opportunities for social welfare recipients to assist them return to the workforce.

Senior officials of the department meet with FÁS, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science to ensure that the social and economic progression of those most marginalised is being adequately addressed. I am satisfied that a high degree of cooperation and coordination exists at both policy and operational level.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons on a national basis and by local social welfare office waiting for their application for jobseeker's allowance to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9216/09]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons on a national basis and by local social welfare office waiting for their application of jobseeker's benefit to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9208/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 35 together.

The Deputy will be aware that there has been a very significant increase in the number of people applying for a jobseeker's payment during the past year. From February 2008 to February 2009 the Live Register increased by about 165,000 people, or over 87%.

Staff in social welfare local offices are working extremely hard and productivity increased by 74% between the last quarter of 2007 and the final quarter of 2008. 190 extra staff are also being put in place in local offices to minimise delays in claim processing. These include — 31 extra staff assigned to local offices; 115 additional staff identified as necessary as part of a staffing review carried out in October 2008; 32 temporary staff assigned from 2nd March to the 17 local offices with the highest volumes of claims on hands; and 12 extra staff as identified in a separate staffing exercise for Cork Local office.

As many local offices are very close to capacity as regards accommodating further staff, a further 40 staff are being assigned to central decisions units. 16 Social Welfare Inspectors are also being assigned to various locations throughout the country to undertake means testing and other work associated with processing claims for the jobseeker's allowance. In addition to these 246 staff, the number of facilitators has also been increased from 40 to 60.

Measures have also been taken to improve the processes used in processing claims. These include—

The introduction of a streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous 2 years;

The testing of an improved procedure for claimants moving from jobseeker's benefit to jobseeker's to jobseeker's allowance which we plan to extend to all offices later this month;

Online availability of application forms for the jobseeker schemes; and

The use of an appointment system for taking claims in some offices which we intend to roll out to other areas over the coming months.

I fully appreciate that becoming unemployed and having to claim a jobseeker's payment is stressful enough in itself. By introducing these initiatives I am trying to ensure that the process is as easy as it possibly can be. I know that processing times in some areas are still too long and I assure Deputies that the necessary steps are being taken to reduce them.