Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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478. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection how her Department plans to address long-term unemployment in County Kildare, especially among younger residents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42559/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The current unemployment rate is 4.3% and has been below 5%, which is considered full employment, since early 2022. The Long-Term Unemployment rate is now at a record low of 0.9%.

Intreo Employment Services engage with jobseekers on a mandatory basis to support them to find work. The Intreo service is a nationwide service and supports are provided to all jobseekers including those who reside in County Kildare. Jobseekers, except for those aged over 62, must engage with Intreo and avail of suitable supports offered to them. A distinctive client journey has been embedded into the employment services process. Jobseekers on the live register engage with Intreo in the first 12 months and are then referred firstly to the Intreo Partner National Employment Service (NES) and after 24 months, to the Intreo Partner Local Area Employment Service (LAES), which is designed to engage with those with greater barriers to the labour market. Therefore the jobseeker is referred to the most appropriate service at each point in time on their jobseeking journey.

Intreo and Intreo Partners offer an individualised employment service. Employment Services Officers (ESO) engage with jobseekers on a one to one basis to develop a Personal Progression Plan (PPP), which will identify steps the jobseeker will take to support them to progress to sustainable employment. Meetings will vary in frequency depending on the circumstances of the jobseeker.

There are a wide range of supports on offer in terms of further education, training, upskilling, work placements as well as programmes like the Work Placement Experience Programme, CE and TUS to support people to obtain or retain employment.

Intreo ES also encourage employers to provide opportunities to jobseekers by way of subsidies for taking customers from the live register. The JobPlus recruitment subsidy – with a subsidy of between €7,500 and €10,000 is also available, on an earlier basis than normal, to employers when they recruit young people.

In May of 2024 the Employment and Employer Youth Engagement Charter (EYEC) was launched. Companies who sign the Charter commit to a range of activities to support young jobseekers or jobseekers from a priority cohort. By 30 September 2024, 122 companies had signed the Charter.

My Department is also currently running the second annual Intreo Work and Skills campaign with a range of employer and jobseeker focussed events scheduled nationwide to the end of October.

There is a Multi-Sectoral Recruitment and training fair taking place on Wednesday the 23rd October in Newbridge Town Hall. This fair provides jobseekers with an opportunity to explore current job vacancies, meet local employers, apply for jobs and learn more about training opportunities. Jobseekers can register to attend using Eventbrite.

I trust this clarifies the matter.