Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has investigated areas where there are very high concentrations of claimants of jobseeker’s allowance, one-parent family allowance, disability allowance or other indicators of concentrated need; and if she is considering innovations in these areas to break the cycle. [24636/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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“Pathways to Work” is the Government’s national employment strategy, which aims to encourage job creation and reduce long-term unemployment and social welfare dependence. This strategy sets out the Governments priority to provide employment supports and access to employment opportunities to assist with tackling long-term unemployment. This strategy is working, with the unemployment rate now at 3.9%, which is the lowest level seen in 22 years. In addition, the most recent Labour Force Survey from the CSO shows that almost 2.6 million people are employed in the State, which is the highest level since the CSO began this series in 1998.

The approach adopted by my Department is that the services delivered by Intreo are focused on unemployed individuals rather than on areas. This means, therefore, that those areas where unemployed individuals are most concentrated will also be the areas that receive a greater share of income support payments and activation and employment services.

The Public Employment Service offers a range of supports to help people prepare for and secure sustainable employment. The service is delivered, mainly through one-on-one engagements, where a range of options are explored and a personal progression plan is agreed. These plans can include referrals to suitable employment opportunities, training, work placement, education, or support with self-employment.

A distinctive client journey has been embedded into the employment services process, whereby jobseekers on the Live Register, after engaging with Intreo in the first twelve months are referred to the Intreo Partner Employment Services. Those who are unemployed after 24 months are referred to an Intreo Partner service, which has been specifically designed to engage with those with greater barriers to the labour market. In this way, the client is referred to the most appropriate service at each point in time on their client journey.

The Department is pro-active in providing a number of supports to long-term jobseekers to return to employment, in order to avoid any potential concentrations of claimants. The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance is available to those who would like to become self-employed, State employment schemes such as Community Employment and Tús provide direct employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed. The Work Placement Experience Programme helps to break the cycle of ‘no work, no experience’ and ‘no experience, no work’ that often puts people at risk of long-term unemployment. Recruitment subsidies such as JobsPlus, offer a financial incentive of up to €10,000 to employers who hire somebody who is long-term unemployed.

The Department has introduced an early engagement process for people with disabilities where Intreo invites people on disability income supports to an appointment with a specially trained Employment Personal Advisor at the earliest opportunity to help them achieve their employment ambitions. The process is entirely voluntary and is being implemented in line with principles agreed with stakeholders. The intention is to increase employment rates by improving access to employment supports and programmes at the earliest possible opportunity.

The Department is currently taking part in a transnational project under the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation, which is piloting a tailored and holistic approach to delivering pre-employment supports for lone parents. This project involves the development and implementation of new profiling and distance travelled tools, as well as the collaboration with an NGO, One Family, to delivery specific employability courses to support lone parents and meet their specific needs.

It is a key priority to encourage people into employment and reduce dependence on social welfare income supports. Employment supports are kept under review in the context of the overall improving labour market and commitments under the Pathways to Work Strategy.

I trust this clarifies my position.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of recipients of jobseeker’s allowance for each year from 2016 to 2019 inclusive; how these numbers compare with the number of recipients of this payment for 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24445/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed and who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Benefit for the Self-Employed, or whose entitlement to these schemes has expired. It is also available to those who do qualify for these schemes but choose to claim optional Jobseeker's Allowance instead.

The number of recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance on the 31st of December each year from 2016 to 2019 was 203,680, 169,692, 140,337 and 123,633 respectively. The number of recipients at the end of each year 2020 to 2022 was 125,703, 108,414 and 126,616 respectively.

The number of recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance has decreased by 77,064, or 37.8%, between 2016 and 2022.