Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of the activation scheme contained in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010; and to make a statement including a detailed breakdown of same. [27970/10]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on the assessment of Aontas that the education and training providers will not have the capacity to meet the demand that will be created if the changes proposed by the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 proceed; if he has discussed this with the Department of Education and Skills; and the outcome of those discussion in terms of concrete actions and time frames. [27969/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The national employment action plan (NEAP) is the main welfare to work measure under which 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.

The provisions contained in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 will enhance the operation of the NEAP in two key areas. Firstly, in order to incentivise participation in training and education programmes provided under the Plan rates of jobseeker's payments and associated rates of supplementary welfare allowance are being reduced where a recipient unreasonably refuses to participate in a course of training arranged by this Department or FÁS, or fails to avail of an opportunity to participate in the NEAP.

Secondly, the one-parent family payment scheme is being amended with a view, inter alia, to providing lone parents with greater access to education, training and enabling services such as childcare provision in order to acquire the skills that they will need to gain employment.

When commenced, these measures will work in tandem with the integration of FÁS functions into the Department of Social Protection and initiatives such as customer profiling, as part of a strongly activation focused welfare system. In addition, the existing rural social scheme and community services programme will shortly transfer to my Department. Taken together these will ensure that long term systemic unemployment and welfare dependency will not take hold. In providing for these measures, we are determined that reductions in jobseeker's payment rates will only apply where there is a clear lack of engagement by the welfare recipient with an appropriate activation intervention. Any decision made in this area will be open to the independent appeals process.

In light of increased, demand the Government is now providing, through FÁS, a total of 128,000 training and activation places for the unemployed this year. This is a substantial increase on the approximate 66,000 places provided last year. There is a wide range of education and training opportunities available through my Department, the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS for lone parents and jobseeker's to strengthen their qualifications and skills base and to thus maximise their chances of meeting the requirements of the modern labour market and gaining employment.

When a lone parent claims jobseeker's allowance they will be actively engaged with under the NEAP, with referral to FÁS and access to the range of employment and training services offered by FÁS. They will be supported in this by the new scheme recently announced by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This new Childcare Education and Training Scheme will provide free childcare for those attending FÁS and VEC courses. It is not anticipated that these measures provided for in the social welfare bill will lead to significant additional costs.