Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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33. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on concerns that the JobsPlus scheme may be preventing persons with suitable qualifications from obtaining employment as they are at a disadvantage to JobsPlus eligible candidates; the record of the scheme to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25557/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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63. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who availed of the JobsPlus subsidy during 2014; the cost of same; the number that it is estimated will benefit from it in 2015; and the estimated total spend for 2015. [25524/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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64. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total savings to her Department for every person employed through the JobsPlus scheme. [25525/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 63 and 64 together.

JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit long-term unemployed persons from the live register. In the first 5 months of this year, the Department made payments of €8.25 million to almost 3,600 employers in respect of 4,900 employees. Two levels of payment are provided - €7,500 or €10,000 over two years – provided the employment is maintained. The rate of payment depends on the length of time the person is unemployed.

Since 2015, the scheme has been expanded to include those transitioning into employment from the one-parent family payment scheme, and short-term unemployed young people under the Youth Guarantee.

A review of the pilot phase of JobsPlus, covering the first year of its operation (from July 2013 to June 2014), confirmed that the aim of putting in place an easily identifiable and user-friendly scheme targeted at employers had been achieved. It also found that over 60% of jobseekers, more than 24 months on the live register, have benefitted from the initiative, contrary to expectations prior to the introduction of the initiative. The review noted that the average level of subsidy paid at the end of June 2014 amounted to just under €374 per employee per month and that the net benefit to the Exchequer from each employee maintained in employment was in excess of €11,750 per annum.

While the risk of distortion may occur in recruitment practices by employers, I am satisfied that JobsPlus has been useful in influencing employers to consider longer-term jobseekers over those more recently unemployed or moving employment. In line with commitments made in the context of Pathways to Work, the Department recently looked at the first 18 months of operations of JobsPlus. This confirmed that the findings from the earlier review remain valid. I propose to publish the outcome of the reviews in the coming weeks.