Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Public Employment Service (PES) offers a range of supports to help Jobseekers secure and sustain employment. The service is delivered, through Employment Personal Advisers (EPA) and Job Coaches (JC) who offer an individualised employment service delivered mainly via one-on-one engagements. In these engagements the EPA/JC will work with the Jobseeker to identify their skills/competencies, work experience and work preference with a view to matching them to job opportunities. Skills needs/gaps and any specific potential barriers to employment are also addressed as part of an agreed Personal Progression Plan (PPP). The PPP documents the steps that the jobseeker will take to progress to suitable and sustainable full-time employment. The Intreo Public Employment Service provides a wide range of supports which may include referrals to further education and training, placement on employment support schemes and job matching services where appropriate.

Where full time employment is not secured, part-time employment is supported through a number of schemes, including casual and systematic short-time work arrangements for people on jobseeker payments. The main social welfare schemes for people who are unable to find full-time employment are the social insurance contribution-based Jobseeker's Benefit and the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance. These schemes allow a person to work up to three days per week, where they are fully unemployed for at least four in any seven consecutive days. Among the qualifying conditions for both schemes are that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work.

The Part-Time Job Incentive Scheme (PTJI) is available to people who are long-term unemployed to take up part-time employment for less than 24 hours per week and receive a weekly income supplement. The scheme is generally awarded for one year but may be extended for up to 12 weeks in exceptional circumstances. Participants are expected to continue to make efforts to find full-time work.

The PES promotes part time employment for Jobseekers by providing schemes and such as Community Employment (CE) or Tús. These schemes are aimed at those customers who long term unemployed. Participants of these schemes can also avail of other part time employment. These customers are also continually supported to seek full-time employment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.