Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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238. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who availed of the JobsPlus subsidy during its first year of operation; the cost of same; the number that it is estimated will benefit from it in 2014; and the estimated total spend for 2014. [30221/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees from those who are long term on the live register. The incentive is payable, on a monthly basis, over a two year period if the employee is retained in full-time employment for two years. JobsPlus is biased in favour of those who are longer term unemployed. The value of the monthly payments is €7,500 for employing a jobseeker 12 to 24 months on the Live Register and €10,000 if the jobseeker was on the Live Register for over 24 months.

Since its launch in July 2013 to the end of June 2014, JobsPlus has supported 2,634 jobseekers in full-time employment with 2,007 employers nationally. Around 60% of jobseekers being supported had been on the Live Register for over 24 months at the time of recruitment.

Thus far this year (up to the end of June 2014), payments under the JobsPlus scheme have amounted to just over €4.4m. Overall, payments under the scheme have amounted to €5.5m since the first payments were made in August 2013. The table attached gives a breakdown of expenditure on a monthly basis since the scheme commenced.

A provision of €13.5m has been included in the Vote for the Department for the scheme in 2014. On the basis of the current pace of applications and expenditure, this provision is considered to be adequate to meet projected costs of the scheme.

TABLE: JobsPlus -Number of Employee Supported