Written answers
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
Department of Social Protection
Labour Activation Projects
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total number of participants at 31 December 2014, 31 December 2015 and 31 December 2016 from each activation scheme currently in operation; the number that subsequently took up employment within three, six, nine and 12 months after commencing an activation scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11552/17]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Government policy to reduce unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, to create an environment in which business can succeed and create jobs; and second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that as many of these new jobs and other vacancies that arise in our economy are filled by people taken from the Live Register.
To date, these policies have been effective in reducing unemployment. The unemployment rate has fallen from 14.8% in July 2012 to 6.6% in February 2017. The actual number of unemployed has fallen from 316,100 to 145,100 over this period. Irish unemployment is now significantly below the EU average.
The total number of participants at end 2014, end 2015 and end 2016 from each Department of Social Protection activation scheme currently in operation is given in Table 1.
Table 1 Live Register Activation Programmes (Number) by Type of Activation
| Programme and Year | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back to work allowance scheme - employee strand | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Back to work enterprise allowance scheme - self-employed strand | 11,166 | 11,881 | 10,977 |
| Short-term enterprise allowance | 479 | 396 | 409 |
| Total back to work payments | 11648 | 12277 | 11386 |
| Other activation programmes - DSP part-time job incentive | 397 | 421 | 482 |
| Other activation programmes - TUS - community work placement initiative | 7,877 | 7,939 | 7,273 |
| Other activation programmes – JobBridge1 | 6,371 | 4,683 | 3,390 |
| Other activation programmes - Gateway | 1,685 | 2,350 | 692 |
| Total other activation programmes | 16,330 | 15,393 | 11,837 |
| Community employment schemes (excluding supervisors) | 23,249 | 22,813 | 22,356 |
| Back to education courses - back to education allowance (BTEA) | 23,366 | 18,345 | 14,386 |
| Total back to education courses2 | 23,366 | 18,345 | 14,386 |
| Total activation programmes3 | 79,593 | 73,828 | 64,965 |
1). JobBridge is closed to new entrants (last start date November 2016). JobBridge figure estimated at 3,390 December 2016 as data unavailable at time of publication.
2). Excludes DES/SOLAS schemes (FAS full-time training; Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)).
3). Less DES/SOLAS schemes.
While systemised data are not readily available on employment outcomes on all programmes, some indicative figures are available. For example:
- The evaluation of JobBridge by Indecon (report published October 2016), shows on the basis of self-reported survey results that 64.2% of interns were currently in employment at the time of the survey. Overall, individuals similar to those who participated in JobBridge had a 36.6% probability of securing employment within one year, whereas the JobBridge interns’ probability of securing employment within one year increased to 48.4% (an 11.8 percentage point difference and a 32% increase in the probability of becoming employed).
- JobsPlus provides subsidies to employers for the full-time employment of those formerly long-term unemployed on the Live Register. In December 2016 there were 4,627 participants benefitting from JobsPlus.
- During 2015 3,100 (31%) of Community Employment leavers were reported to have progressed into employment.
I am confident that these measures, together with the continuing economic recovery, will support further reductions in unemployment.
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