Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that errors are being made by officials in her Department and in FÁS who are wrongly informing persons, particularly those who were previously self-employed, that they are not eligible for programmes such as the work placement programme; and her views that there is a need for officials in her Department to be given better training in the eligibility criteria for the various labour activation schemes. [10158/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Work Placement Programme was announced, and launched, by the Government in 2009. Under the programme, employers apply to offer 'work placements', for a maximum duration of nine months, within their organisations, and those who are unemployed can apply for these placements. The eligibility criteria for this programme are advertised on www.fas.ie and are available to people in the form of literature in local employment services and DSP offices. Any changes to eligibility criteria are in the fist instance communicated to relevant staff and the internal information sources that they reference are updated accordingly.

The WPP participant eligibility criteria have remained unchanged since 2010. The WPP eligibility criteria for an unemployed person are:

The Programme is open to all people who are unemployed, including people who are not in receipt of any social welfare payment. For those not in receipt of a payment, they may undertake a placement with no payment.

For those in receipt of a social welfare payment, they may take up the placement, under certain conditions. People who are unemployed and are currently in receipt of any of the following payment may apply:

· Job Seeker's Allowance

· Job Seeker's Benefit

· Disability Allowance

· Blind Pension

· Invalidity Pension

· Illness Benefit

· Lone parents allowance

· Deserted Wives Benefit

· Widow/Widower's Pension

· Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA)

However to be eligible to retain their payment while on a placement, they must have been unemployed and in receipt of some form of social welfare payment for at least three months.

The JobBridge National Internship scheme was announced in July 2011 and the eligibility criteria for access to this programme are different to those for WPP. The JobBridge eligibility criteria for an unemployed person are:

To be eligible for a place as an intern you must be on Live Register and currently in receipt of:

· Jobseekers Benefit

· Jobseekers Allowance

· Or signing for Social Insurance Contribution Credits for 3 months (78 days) or more in the last 6 months

Periods spent on Back to Education Allowance, VTOS, FÁS/Fáilte Ireland Training course, Youthreach, FIT, Community Employment Schemes, TUS, the Rural Social Scheme, Back to Work Scheme, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative or Job Assist will count towards meeting the eligibility of JobBridge provided:

· The individual has completed these programmes

· Has signed back on to the Live Register

· Is in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance or Jobseeker credits immediately before commencing on JobBridge.

Individuals in receipt of One Parent Family Payment or Widows Pension are ineligible to participate in JobBridge even if they are also receiving half rate Jobseekers Benefit.

Staff are currently operating both schemes and are aware of the different eligibility criteria for each. Once a person, for example a person who was previously self-employed, can satisfy the eligibility criteria for either scheme, he/she will be informed of such, and be approved to participate.