Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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203. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on a technical assessment and training to avail of an incentive scheme (details supplied); if consideration will be given to reverting to the terms of the old scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6057/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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A Departmental review of employment support schemes made a range of recommendations, including the need for a rationalisation of current schemes to support jobseekers. The schemes reviewed included the training employment support grant (TESG) and the technical assistance and training scheme (TATS). Further work undertaken took account of developments in the supports available to jobseekers and changes in the services offered by Solas and the newly created Education and Training Boards.

Two new schemes of supports for jobseekers have been introduced in recent months, replacing the above mentioned schemes. A new enterprise support grant has been put in place to offer specific supports to jobseekers starting their own business and who have been approved for income support under the back to work enterprise allowance scheme. A training support grant (TSG) has also been developed to support the Department’s activation objectives.

Like the former TESG, the new TSG is designed to fund quick access to short-term training where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time or where a intervention is identified that can support individual jobseekers to access work opportunities. Like the old scheme, the TSG is not designed specifically to provide general training for jobseekers. Access to the new scheme is via the Department’s case officers who are tasked with identifying the most support intervention for jobseekers, particularly where a job opportunity has been identified.

The maximum fund available to jobseekers under the scheme is €500 p.a. TSG is designed to be a more activation focused grant than TESG. The training sought by the jobseeker must form part of the agreed personal progression or action plan to enter/re-enter the labour market.

The operational guidelines for the scheme were drawn up to ensure a consistent approach nationally and set out clearly defied criteria for eligibility. As with all new schemes, the Department will closely monitor implementation and the guidelines will be reviewed over time, if this is found to be necessary.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the specific supports available to unemployed taxi drivers who wish to return to the taxi industry. [6088/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A range of supports are available to jobseekers from the Department. A jobseeker who is available for and genuinely seeking work can apply for the contribution-based jobseeker’s benefit or the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance, depending on their previous employment history. While the Department does not provide any specific supports for those wishing to join or return to the taxi industry, a jobseeker may avail of any of the following supports to aid their return to employment/self-employment:

- A person who is self-employed can apply for Jobseeker's Allowance if their income falls below a certain level. The applicant can continue in self-employment with their earnings from the business assessed to determine the level of jobseeker’s allowance that can be paid.

- The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) gives support to people who have lost their job and want to start their own business. A person must be in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit payment to qualify and payment will cease when the entitlement to jobseekers benefit expires.

- The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme is available to support persons who are long-term unemployed and wish to develop or take up self-employment opportunities. The scheme allows a qualified person to retain a reducing proportion of their social protection payment, plus secondary benefits over a two year period. However, it is important to note that given the nature of the taxi industry and concerns about displacement of existing operators and viability, the likelihood of a jobseeker being approved for BTWEA to establish a taxi business in relatively low.

- A jobseeker may quality to be supported under JobsPlus, an incentive that provides cash subsidies to employers to recruit jobseekers who are longer-term unemployed.