Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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306. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the yearly cost of JobBridge. [39312/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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On 18 September, I announced that more than 20,000 JobBridge internship placements had been made, a significant milestone for an activation scheme with exceptional rates of progression into employment. At 19 September, there had been 20,912 placements since the Scheme commenced, 5,446 individuals were actually on internships and 3,061 internship opportunities were advertised on the JobBridge website.

Interns continue to receive their basic Social Welfare payment for the duration of their internship. The cost of the additional top-up up payment of €50 per week to individuals while they are on their internship for 2013 is estimated to be €14.3 million based upon a weekly average of 5,500 interns.

The recent independent evaluation of JobBridge found that JobBridge would achieve a positive net benefit to the exchequer if participants secure employment and remain off the Live Register for a minimum period of about 5 ½ months or, adjusting to take into account variations in the overall exit rate from the Live Register among JobBridge participants versus non-participants, the estimated minimum period required to achieve a positive return to the Exchequer would fall to 4.8 months.

JobBridge is not only a positive activation measure for interns, 61% of whom progress into employment within 5 months of completing an internship, but also good value for money for the Exchequer.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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307. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the anticipated cost of the JobsPlus scheme in a full year. [39313/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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323. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications that have been approved under the JobsPlus scheme to date; the numbers of applications relating to those unemployed between 12 and 24 months and those unemployed for more than 24 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39458/13]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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324. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for those under 25 years of age that have been approved under the JobsPlus scheme to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39459/13]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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354. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the progress of Jobs Plus; the number of places employers have created and the number of citizens who have taken up a Jobs Plus position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39797/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 323, 324 and 354 together.

JobsPlus was launched on 8th July 2013. This is a new incentive to encourage employers to recruit and employ persons who have been unemployed for long periods and it replaced this Department's Employer Job PRSI Incentive Scheme and the Revenue Job Assist Scheme. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and creating a full-time position, employers will receive a direct cash incentive over two years if the person they hire has been unemployed for a prolonged period. The level of payment is higher where a person who has been unemployed for a longer period is recruited and retained.

Up to Friday 20th September 2013, the Department had received and processed applications from 1,121 employers. Over the same period, applications from 2,125 jobseekers had been received. Of these, 1,577 applications have been deemed eligible with 1,029 qualifying on the basis of being 24 months unemployed and, therefore, attracting a payment to an employer of €10,000 paid over two years. The remaining 548 applications are eligible for a payment of €7,500 over two years, having been unemployed for between 12 and 24 months.

At present, 400 eligible employers and eligible jobseekers have been matched. Of these, 250 employment contracts commenced in July and August and grant payments in respect of 236 cases will be made before the end of September. The number of applications received from persons under 25 years of age is 305, of which 256 have been deemed eligible. The initiative is expected to operate on a pilot basis initially, with €21.25 million allocated to cover costs over three years. I anticipate that this allocation will be reviewed along with other aspects of the initiative, when it has been operational for a number of months.

Further information regarding the scheme can be found at www.jobsplus.ie