Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the provisions that have been made to facilitate and encourage the participation of persons with a disability in the national internship scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34467/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The overall objective of labour market policy is to provide a pathway to appropriate employment, training and education opportunities for those on the Live Register so that as employment opportunities become available they can be taken up by those on the Register.

For this reason, in order to be eligible to participate in JobBridge - the National Internship Scheme - an individual must:

· currently be on the Live Register;

· have been in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance or signing for Social Insurance Contribution Credits for a total of 3 months or more in the last 6 months.

Given the scale of the unemployment crisis, it is imperative to keep those on the Live Register close to the labour market and prevent the drift into long-term unemployment. This will ensure that those availing of activation measures such as the National Internship Scheme will gain work experience and so be in a better position to avail of employment opportunities as the economy improves.

For these reasons, eligibility for the scheme is confined to those on the Live Register and in receipt of unemployment payments or signing for credits for 3 months. In so designing the scheme, the policy objective is to prioritise scarce resources on those on the Live Register so as to increase their chances of leaving it and ensure a reduction in Exchequer costs over time. Individuals who are in receipt of a disability allowance can access the FÁS Work Placement Programme, which provides participants with a work experience placement of between two and nine months. During this time participants may be able to retain their social welfare entitlements.

In addition, people in receipt of a disability allowance can access a range of other specific programmes, such as the Supported Employment Programme and the Wage Subsidy Scheme. Both of these programmes aim to assist people with a disability to secure and maintain a job in the labour market.