Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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694. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to address the problem of persons who are not counted among the live register figures and who do not have access to education, training and activation options of those who are included in the Live Register; and if his attention has been drawn to the social exclusion felt by these persons. [24660/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The key objective of current activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly, the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused, in the first instance, on this cohort of unemployed people.

For those in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance and Jobseekers Benefit, it is a condition of their payment to engage in activation measures. Recipients of other payments, including disability allowance (DA) and the one parent family payment (OFP), can voluntarily avail of activation services and supports. The JobBridge internship scheme, for example, is available to recipients of a wide range of payments (DA; OFP; Blind Persons Pension; Deserted Wives Allowance/ Deserted Wives Benefit; Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s contributory/non-contributory Pension). Recipients of these payments are not counted on the Live Register.

In addition, unemployed persons (including those formerly self-employed) not in receipt of qualifying payments may be eligible to avail of upskilling opportunities, for example through ETB training for unemployed people (at present there are 1,009 upcoming day courses and 552 upcoming evening courses). Although not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course, they may receive some support for expenses on travel, meals and accommodation. Springboard and Skillnets courses for unemployed people, funded through the Department of Education and Skills, are also open to people regardless of their social welfare status.

Many other services are also available to people who are not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. For example, employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices regardless of their social welfare status.

An unemployed person who does not qualify for a social welfare payment due to the assessment of their means may be eligible to sign for social insurance contribution credits. Persons who sign for credits for three months (78 days) of the last six months are eligible to participate in the JobBridge programme. Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer over the previous 18 months are entitled to participate on Momentum courses through Solas, provided that they have been actively seeking work, however they will not receive any payment. Persons signing for credits for six months or more are entitled to participate on ETB-run VTOS courses subject to availability. In the case of VTOS courses, such participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances.

The new Pathways to Work 2016 - 2020 strategy reflects a shift in focus from ‘activation in a time of recession’ to ‘activation in a time of recovery and growth’. Taking on board extensive inputs into the strategy from a range of stakeholders, it has two main objectives:

- First, to continue and consolidate the progress made to date with an initial focus on working with unemployed jobseekers, in particular people who are long-term unemployed.

- Second, to extend the approach of activation to other people who, although not classified as unemployed jobseekers, have the potential and the desire to play a more active role in the labour force.

Accordingly Pathways to Work 2016–2020 includes numerous, specific actions to increase labour market participation and employment progression of people who are not currently active in the labour market and to apply the concept of active inclusion as a guiding principle – particularly in the period from 2018 – 2020.

In short, the Government is committed to supporting as many people as possible to participate more fully in employment and to become more self-sufficient by providing supports that address barriers they may encounter in finding and sustaining employment. Through these efforts it is also hoped to improve their quality of life, reduce poverty and promote social inclusion.