Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 291: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of places filled by young persons under 25 years on the work placement programme in line with the commitment to ring-fence 250 places for young persons under 25 years when the scheme was announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25214/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Work Placement Programme provides unemployed individuals with the opportunity to secure work experience for up to nine months. The programme includes the provision to ring-fence 250 places for under 25s. Participation on the programme is voluntary and unpaid while participants on the programme may be entitled to maintain their social welfare entitlements subject to the rules of the Department of Social Protection. This Programme is designed to address an identified gap in policy provision for those unemployed people who need more experience to make them more attractive to employers. This will assist them in securing paid employment in the future.

As of 16th September 1,860 people had commenced a placement under the Work Placement Programme. 918 had taken up graduate placements and 942 commenced non-graduate placements.

The total number of places filled by young persons under 25 years old on the programme is 563. This includes 294 on the graduate stream and 269 on the non-graduate stream.