Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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57. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of long-term jobseekers who were placed on a Momentum programme free education and training project in 2014; and if these same jobseekers are categorised as employed for the purposes of the live register whilst participating in the programme. [5256/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The MOMENTUM Programme 2014, launched in September 2014, is under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and is managed on behalf of DES by SOLAS. The programmes include on-the job training in the form of work experience modules as well as the provision of accredited further education and training required to obtain and retain employment. One third of the 6,500 places have been ring-fenced for the under 25s. This forms part of the Government’s Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs strategies. The information “the number of long-term jobseekers who were placed on a momentum programme free education and training project in 2014” requested by the Deputy is not available within my Department.

Enquiries will be made with SOLAS (who manage MOMENTUM on behalf of the DES) to establish the number of persons who commenced on MOMENTUM from the 1st January 2014 to the 31st December 2014. My Department will contact the Deputy directly with the data when provided by SOLAS.

MOMENTUM participants are not categorised as employed. Eligible participants are supported through the Department of Social Protection Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme and are categorised as on a BTEA-approved educational programme.