Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 49: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail the actions that she is taking to address the regional disparities in unemployment. [4126/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government has taken a number of actions with respect to tackling unemployment, including those announced recently in the Budget. The key challenges facing the Government are:

to create and maintain the conditions where employment can thrive

providing incentives for job creation through the tax system and the supports available to new enterprises and those going through restructuring

removing obstacles, red tape and other disincentives on employers to take on new workers, including those arising in the social welfare system.

Following the transfer of the community welfare scheme and the employment and community services element of FÁS in recent months, significant work is being undertaken on the development of better systems and approach to enhancing the activation and work placement opportunities at local level. These will ensure that there is a more proactive engagement with people on the Live Register to provide opportunities for work, education and training. Over the coming months my Department will be able to engage on a more regular basis with those on the Live Register and offer more targeted activation options and opportunities. Allied to this will be a need for a more in-depth engagement at local level with employers and other agencies which can offer jobs, training and educational opportunities.

I intend to build on the implementation of Tús – the community work placement initiative and JobBridge – the national internship programme, which I introduced during 2011. Together, these initiatives are engaging some 6,000 people today. The Deputy may wish to note the distribution of placements on community employment and Tús is based on the regional incidence of unemployment. My Department is also currently undertaking a review of the effectiveness of a range of activation measures. The outcome of this review will be used to determine future policy initiatives and will assist the targeting of resources.