Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12687/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A range of education and employment supports are available to people who are in receipt of welfare payments. These initiatives, including the back to work allowance and the back to education allowance, are designed to assist and facilitate people on such payments to return to the active labour force. The back to work allowance scheme is designed to assist and encourage the long-term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and other social welfare recipients to return to the active labour force. The scheme's two strands are the back to work enterprise allowance for the self-employed and the back to work allowance for employees. The allowances provide a monetary incentive for long-term social welfare dependants and make their return to work financially attractive and viable. This scheme has been subject to review and modification over the years. The requirement to be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for a minimum period of time has always been a feature of it. While those who have been unemployed for a short time are not the main focus of the scheme, its qualifying conditions will continue to be monitored in the context of the changing economic circumstances.

The national employment action plan, which has been in operation since 1998, is the main welfare-to-work measure of the Government. It has proven successful in helping people on the live register to get back into employment. It is a preventive strategy that provides for systematic engagement of the employment services with the unemployed. The operation of the action plan involves the referral to FÁS of people on the Live Register who have been unemployed for a certain period. Everyone who is approaching three months on the Live Register is referred to FÁS for interview with a view to job placement or an offer of training. FÁS employment services, together with local employment services, have put in place measures designed to provide increased capacity for the increase in referrals and the increased number of unemployed people who are seeking job search assistance voluntarily. The implementation of these measures has increased the monthly capacity of job search services from 6,500 to 12,250 persons per month. Arrangements also exist whereby people who are employed for up to three days in a week may claim jobseeker's payment in respect of the remainder of the week, subject to being available for full-time work. It may be noted that if there is an employment relationship between a worker and an employer, that relationship may dictate that the full range of rights and protections afforded to employees, including minimum wage, will apply. The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS to improve the services available for progressing people who depend on social welfare progress to education, training and employment.