Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the prioritisation of places, including in the further education and training sector, specifically for those on the live register for 12 months or more has been completed; if not, when it will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20040/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In 2012, at a time of reducing resources the Department of Education will fund over 450,000 education and training places across the range of provision in the higher education, further education and training sectors. The main providers of these places - Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and FÁS - have been notified of the requirement to prioritise places specifically for those on the Live Register for 12 months or more.

There are specific programmes at every level - Springboard, the Labour Market Education and Training Fund, the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme - which are specifically for the unemployed, in particular the long-term unemployed. In addition, interim referral protocols have been circulated to local welfare offices and VECs to enable the more efficient and effective referral of unemployed people to further education programmes delivered by VECs. These protocols will complement existing protocols between DSP offices and FÁS.

In addition my Department will support in excess of 85,000 places in 2012 across a range of job placement and work experience initiatives The Deputy will be aware that in July 2011, the Government announced the establishment of a new further education and training authority - SOLAS - which will, for the first time, have strategic responsibility for all publicly funded further education and training. As part of Pathways to Work SOLAS will have a crucial role in ensuring the referral of unemployed people to appropriate further education and training opportunities

In Pathways to Work the Government committed to:

· Prioritise places, including in the further education and training sector specifically for those on the Live Register for twelve months or more,

· Improve data collection and impact evaluation to ensure delivery of this goal

This process is well advanced and pending the full establishment of both NEES and SOLAS as well as the completion of the amalgamation of Vocational Education Committees into Local Education and Training Boards, interim protocols have been agreed to facilitate effective collaboration. To further enhance this process my Department also now has a representative on the management advisory committee of the Department of Education and Skills and the SOLAS Board. The Department of Education and Skills and my department will continue to work together to ensure that the objectives set out in Pathways to Work are realised.

Finally to ensure cross departmental support for these objectives an Inter-Departmental Programme Board has been established. The board is chaired by the Department of Social Protection and includes representatives of the Departments of Education and Skills, Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Public Expenditure & Reform, Taoiseach and the Director General of FÁS/SOLAS.