Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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220. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which young unemployed persons have been able to join the Defence Forces; if a specific programme exists in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44253/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Application to join the Defence Forces is open to all. There is no specific advertising or recruitment aimed at those who are unemployed. The Defence Forces require men and women from all backgrounds that possess a strong sense of duty, enjoy working as part of a team, and are looking for a rewarding yet challenging career.

The White Paper on Defence committed the Government to putting in place a new employment support scheme with the direct involvement of the Defence Forces. Following an evaluation of a pilot programme and Ministerial approval, two iterations of the programme will be conducted in 2017.

The objective of this 10-week scheme is to help develop a path to economic independence for participants, aged between 18 and 24 years, who are at a serious disadvantage owing to their current socio-economic situation. The scheme is designed with the specific aim of equipping participants with life and other marketable and certifiable skills which will assist them both in their capacity to participate fully in society as well as their ability to enter the workforce and or to pursue further education for this purpose.

Participants retain any Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection benefits that they are currently entitled to for the duration of the Scheme. Participation on the scheme is wholly voluntary for the relevant cohort of jobseekers and there is no penalty applied for non-participation or engagement in the programme. Participants do not receive any payment from the Department of Defence.