Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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Question 1230: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he has undertaken any research into current unemployment levels by specific job type and sector; if he is examining any initiatives to target sectors that have been particularly badly hit by the ongoing jobs crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33181/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Preventing long-term unemployment is important from both economic and social perspectives, especially because long-term unemployment tends to lead to erosion of skills and self-confidence, and damages future employment prospects. Effective prevention depends on being able to identify those at risk of becoming long-term unemployed at an early stage, and referring them to appropriate labour market programmes to improve their chances of obtaining employment. This was the motivation for a recently published ESRI report, National Profiling of the Unemployed in Ireland. ESRI Research Series No. 10, which developed a statistical profiling model for Ireland that would identify those individuals with a high risk of becoming long-term unemployed. This model is now being developed in the Department. Implementation will give additional flexibility to target live-register cohorts for activation interventions.

There are a number of initiatives being run in my Department which target specific sectors of the unemployed population. The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme is focused on creating new jobs for people who have been on the Live Register for 6 months or more. Funding of €169 million has been provided for the Back to Education Allowance Scheme, which supported 20,808 people in the 2009/2010 academic year, for the 2010/11 academic year.

The main purpose of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is 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 August 2010, 6,646 people were availing of the scheme. The Short Term Enterprise Allowance is payable to a person who qualifies for Jobseekers' 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 August 2010, there were 1,558 participants in the scheme.

In addition, the Rural Social Scheme and the Community Services Programme will be expanded and further developed to give more opportunities to people who are out of work and who want to maintain their skills or improve their job prospects and to create additional work opportunities in the social economy.

These schemes and new initiatives compliment and support the National Employment Action Plan, the Government's main welfare to work strategy, which is subject to ongoing development in co-operation with other relevant Government departments.