Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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518. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason single mothers who want to work cannot work under the JobsPlus scheme (details supplied), as they are not considered unemployed until their child is of seven years of age and are thus the recipient of a single parent payment and deemed not eligible to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13519/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobsPlus is a pilot incentive which encourages and rewards employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed. It takes the form of a cash grant payable monthly in arrears to the employer. In line with commitments made in the Pathways to Work strategy, it is an activation support exclusively targeted at long-term jobseekers who are on the Live Register. Persons in receipt of the One Parent Family payment (OFP) are, therefore, not eligible for the incentive.

However, recipients of OFP can avail of a number of activation supports including employment programmes such as JobBridge, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme and Community Employment, as well as educational supports such as the Back to Education Allowance Scheme, Springboard, VTOS and Skillnets. They can also undertake SOLAS training courses.