Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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102. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address the issue of long term unemployment in the course of 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11135/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In the first instance, the Government’s primary strategy to tackle long-term unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Economic recovery will underpin jobs growth.

However, the Government also recognises the need for additional measures in the interim while the economy recovers. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work Strategy. Pathways to Work 2013 prioritises the allocation of available resources to the long-term unemployed. The goal in Strand 2 of Pathways to Work 2013 is: “To provide unemployed people, in particular people who are long-term unemployed and young unemployed people, with opportunities to enhance their job prospects through value-adding work experience, education and training activities.”

The Pathways to Work Strategy set a target of moving 75,000 of the 180,800 people who were on the Live Register for over a year (long-term unemployed) at the beginning of 2012, into employment by the end of 2015. By the end of 2013, some 42,900 of this group had moved into employment, 12,000 of whom, to part-time employment. As there can be some time lag in the reporting of new entries to employment by the relevant employers, it is likely that these figures will increase retrospectively as further records become available.

In terms of enhancing job prospects the Department has a number of supports available for jobseekers (including long term). These provide short medium and long term places and are outlined below.

- JobBridge (the National Internship Scheme) provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 month or a 9 month period. The aim of JobBridge is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills. Some 6,400 people are currently participating on this scheme. Over 13,000 new participants are expected to benefit from JobBridge in 2014.

- The JobsPlus incentive scheme encourages employers to recruit long-term unemployed people. The incentive is payable monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period. There are 2 levels of incentive: €7,500 for recruits unemployed for more than 12 but less than 24 months and €10,000 for recruits unemployed for more than 24 months. It is anticipated that approximately 4,000 jobs will be subsidised by JobsPlus in 2014 including an inflow of 2,000 new participants.

- The Department also manages a number of schemes providing temporary employment for the long-term unemployed on works and services of value to the community. There were almost 31,000 people participating on Community Employment and Tús in December 2013. Similar figures are expected for 2014, with average participation expected to be in the order of 33,000. In 2014, there will also be 3,000 places available on Gateway, a local authority labour activation scheme that provides short-term work and training opportunities for long-term unemployed people who have been on the Live Register for over 2 years.

- In terms of up-skilling, the Back to Education Allowance scheme run by the Department provides income maintenance, along with a contribution to education costs, for unemployed people returning to further or higher education. In 2014, average participation is expected to be in the order of 18,500.

- MOMENTUM, a scheme for education and training interventions, which is part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs initiative, was rolled out by the Department of Education in 2013. MOMENTUM supports the provision of free education and training projects to allow up to 6,500 long term jobseekers to gain skills and to access work opportunities in identified growing sectors.

- Two further up-skilling options available are the Part-time Education Option (PTEO) and Education Training and Development Option (ET&D). Both PTEO and ET&D are designed to facilitate jobseekers who wish to engage in part time day, evening or weekend courses or more intensive short duration courses of education and training while retaining their jobseeker’s payments. The PTEO allows participants to attend part-time day/evening or weekend courses of education or training and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists provided that they continue to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment on an on-going basis. Payment is made at the same rate as the primary payment and no maximisation of payments occurs. The ET&D allows participants to attend certain courses of education, training or development of short duration and retain their jobseeker’s payment while an entitlement exists. Participants are exempt from engaging in job search but must be available for employment should an opportunity arise.

- The former FAS training provision is being progressively transferred to the new regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs) up to mid-2014. The main FAS/Solas programmes of relevance to the young unemployed are Specific Skills Training, Traineeships, Local Training Initiatives, and training for people with disabilities through Specialist Training Providers. About 25,000 new participants are expected on these courses in 2014.

A breakdown of likely available places for 2014 is presented in the table. The programmes where being long-term unemployed is an eligibility requirement are indicated

Expected participation, activation programmes, 2014