Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 440: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will comment on the May 2010 live register figures indicating that there are 439,100 unemployed or under-employed across the country and the ongoing significant and negative impact of elevated live register figures on the public finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25629/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The monthly live register is published by the Central Statistics Office on the basis of data collated by my Department in respect of the last Friday of each month. At the end of May, 2010, the live register stood at 437,922. This represents an increase of 5,265 on the April figure of 432,657 and is influenced by seasonal factors that cause the live register to rise over the summer months. The cost of funding unemployment support programmes is €4.3 billion ,€2.8 billion of which has been provided for the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme and €1.5 billion provided for the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme this year.

While unemployment has an adverse impact on departmental budgets and on the public finances generally, I am acutely conscious of its human consequences and the need for those affected to get access to financial supports as quickly as possible. One of the main priorities of my department is to ensure that customers get paid on time. In this context, effective measures have been taken to keep delays to a minimum. These include the introduction of improved processes and procedures to increase productivity and the assignment of additional staff to claim processing. Apart from providing people with timely access to financial support after they lose their jobs, it is important that as many people as possible are kept in work and that support is available to help people move from welfare back into employment. While the primary responsibility for job creation rests with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Innovation, my department has a role in supporting people from welfare to work.

The National Employment Action Plan (NEAP), operated jointly with FÁS, is the main activation measure for jobseeker's. Under the NEAP, everyone who is approaching 3 months on the live register is identified by the Department of Social Protection and referred to FÁS for interview with a view to assisting them enter or re-enter the labour market. 22,765 people were referred to FÁS under the NEAP in the period from January to March 2010, an increase of 36 % over the same period in 2009.

My Department also provides jobseeker's with one-to-one assistance through its facilitator service. Facilitators work closely with FÁS and other agencies at a local level and help jobseeker's develop individual progression plans to enhance their skills and ultimately improve their employment chances. Almost 11,400 people were referred to facilitators in the five months to the end of May 2010.

My Department will also, under the new role it has been given, including responsibility for the employment services of FÁS and various schemes such as the Community Employment Scheme, be much more directly involved in providing new opportunities to those who do not get full-time employment.

My Department operates a range of activation programmes and second chance education opportunities which assist unemployed people and other social welfare recipients to improve their employability and personal and family situations. The back to work enterprise allowance is designed to encourage the long term unemployed to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their qualifying social welfare payment, plus secondary benefits, over two years. At the end of May 2010, there were 7,114 people availing of the scheme.

The short term enterprise allowance is payable to a person who qualifies for jobseeker's benefit and who wishes to commence in self employment. This allowance is payable for the duration of their Jobseeker's Benefit entitlement. At end of May 2010 there were 1,552 participants in the scheme.

The back to education allowance (BTEA) aims to give welfare recipients who left school early and those without third level qualifications a second chance to attain educational qualifications so as to reduce their risk of long term unemployment. The allowance is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum personal rate of the relevant social welfare payment that qualifies the applicant for participation in the scheme. 20,983 people were in receipt of BTEA at the end of April 2010. Payment of BTEA to participants from jobseeker schemes ceases at the end of the academic year.

In addition, my Department, together with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS supports the unemployed under a number of new measures. These include the Work Placement programme, the Short Time Work Training programme, the Back to College Initiative and the redundant apprentice programme.

The Government is providing, through FÁS, a total of 147,000 training and activation places for jobseeker's. In addition there were 166,000 places available, including additional provision, on education programmes in 2009, while the number of third level places has also increased substantially over the past ten years.

The nature and structure of the supports provided by my Department to the people on the live register will continue to be monitored in the context of changes in the economic climate. In that regard,the Governments top priorities are to foster the conditions that will support the maintenance and creation of employment and to provide appropriate financial and other supports to people who are unemployed in the meantime.