Booklet Tackles Irish Unemployment

An initiative to tackle Irish unemployment has been rolled out today.

The 'Working for Work' booklet, published by the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU), was launched today by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton.

The booklet is a comprehensive publication bringing together a wide range of information and supports available for unemployed people who are trying to return to work, education or training.

It outlines individuals’ right and entitlement with regard to social welfare payments as well as providing valuable information and advice on the options and opportunities available to those seeking to enter the labour market or to pursue further education and training.

Minister Burton said: "The INOU is one of our most important partners and the work of the INOU directly benefits my Department by providing free, accurate, independent, comprehensive and user-friendly information to jobseekers and people on social welfare payments.

"My Department has supported this publication since its inception and I am glad to be able to continue that support for this latest edition."

Minister Burton continued: "There are many challenges facing this country at the present time but no challenge is greater than that of unemployment.

"While my Department has a number of supports in place for jobseekers, including my Department's Facilitator Service, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and the Back to Education Allowance schemes, the Tús scheme, and the new national internship scheme, JobBridge, I agree with the INOU that we must constantly strive to improve our services for jobseekers and people getting social welfare payments.

"In this regard, the new National Employment and Entitlements Service which will be established under the management of my Department will integrate the employment support services currently provided directly by my Department with those currently provided by FÁS into a single service," she said.

This National Employment and Entitlements Service will also process payments in respect of employment related benefits and other benefits payable by the Department of Social Protection.

The integration of employment services and related benefit payment services within the Department will provide a 'one stop shop' for people wishing to establish their benefit entitlements, seek employment and seek advice about their training options.

A key objective of the new service is that it will offer users a high level of personalised employment support and prioritise the provision of more intensive support for those on the live register who are identified as being most at risk of long-term unemployment.

This will be achieved through the use of proactive approaches and modern case management systems.

Minister Burton concluded: "It is important that we continue to work in close cooperation to ensure that information and other services are easily available to people at a difficult time in their lives."

(BMcC/GK)