Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the action being taken by her to address the serious problem in which 51.5% of all those unemployed are long-term unemployed; the initiatives being planned to prevent this number increasing and to help those who are structurally unemployed to get back into the labour market; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5878/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department of Social Protection operates a range of employment support measures designed to encourage and support social welfare recipients of working age to reduce their dependency on welfare payments. These include the employment support schemes, the activation programme and the Department's role in the National Employment Action Plan. The Department also supports new activation measures undertaken by other agencies, for example, the Work Placement Programme administered by FÁS and the Labour Market Activation Fund administered by the Department of Education and Skills.

While the primary responsibility for job creation rests with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Innovation, this Department already has a role in supporting people from welfare to work. The National Employment Action Plan is the main activation measure for jobseekers and provides for a systematic engagement of the employment services with unemployed people. It has been in operation since 1998 and has proven successful in that period in assisting people on the live register back into employment.

Under the Plan, 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 Protection and referred to FÁS for interview with the aim of assisting them to enter/re-enter the labour market. The Employment Action Plan process is a key element in addressing the progression needs of those on the Live Register. It provides a stimulus to job search and affords an opportunity to explore, under professional guidance, the full range of employment and training services offered by FÁS.

In addition, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is operated by my Department and is designed to provide a monetary incentive for people who are long term dependent on social welfare payments to make a return to work financially attractive and viable. 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.

The Employer Job (PRSI) Incentive Scheme was launched in 2010 and extended until end 2011. The purpose of the scheme is to support job creation and counter the drift of people into long-term unemployment and welfare dependency. In addition, the Tús initiative will provide for up to 5,000 places when fully rolled out.

A re-configuration of Government departments has already taken effect to develop a more comprehensive and effective activation strategy that will strengthen the links between getting benefits, searching for a job and participating in employment and training programmes. Bringing together, under the aegis of one department, the employment services of FÁS, the expertise of its employment support officers and the unemployment services of this Department will offer significant opportunities to generate synergies, improve efficiency and, ultimately, improve service delivery to those availing of those services.