Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 52: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of persons participating on the work placement programme; the numbers who have expressed an interest; the number of positions available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11275/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Work Placement Programme provides up to 9 months work experience to 2,000 unemployed individuals, including graduates. The Programme is open to all sectors of the economy, including the private and public sectors, as well as the community and voluntary sectors. The Work Placement Programme provides the unemployed with the opportunity to take up a placement in their chosen occupation and gain valuable experience or to work in another sector that may hold better future employment prospects. While the programme is voluntary, the placements offered under the programme will help to ensure that the unemployed are kept close to the labour market, are active and will enable participants to keep their skills up to date. In addition, the experience gained under the programme is likely to strengthen the employability of a participant in comparison with other individuals without such experience. Participants on the programme may retain their existing social welfare entitlements for the duration of their placement subject to the normal social welfare rules applying.

The first stream of the WPP is for 1,000 unemployed graduates who have attained a full award at level 7 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications. The second stream, which is for 1,000 unemployed individuals, is open to all other individuals. Furthermore, under this stream 250 places are ring-fenced for those under 35 years of age. This is only the minimum number of places that are available for young people under the non-graduate stream and in fact the actual number could be significantly higher.

As of the 26th February 2010, 478 individuals had commenced their placements under the Work Placement Programme. Of these 309 individuals have commenced on the graduate stream and 169 individuals have commenced on the non-graduate stream. In addition, there are a further 1,105 placements currently available to be filled throughout Ireland. A total of 5,989 individuals have expressed their interest with FÁS Employment Services in participating in the programme. FÁS continues to match individuals who have expressed an interest in participating in the programme with the placements that are available.