JobsPlus pilot scheme
Senators support JobsPlus as a route into employment for long-term unemployed people, urge expansion beyond its 2,500-place pilot and credit cross-party Seanad advocacy for its introduction.
I second Senator O'Donovan's amendment to the Order of Business.
I join colleagues in welcoming yesterday's announcement of the JobsPlus pilot scheme. I hope it is a success even though it starts with relatively low numbers of just 2,500. I commend everybody involved in the JobBridge scheme, which has been very successful to date even though there are some anomalies. People have been provided with work experience from educational establishments such as the new educational and training boards. Even though some people have only worked for a number of months on the scheme, they find themselves laid off during the summer months because the schools are closed for the summer holidays or the offices are not operating to full capacity during the summer. This is regrettable. Schools still need to be maintained even though the students are not present. Painting and other summer work schemes need to take place. I ask the Minister to look at that anomaly regarding educational establishments because several hundred people have been laid off over the summer months even though they have not completed their placements.
I agree with what Senator Quinn said about defibrillators. Some mechanism should be introduced to avoid having to pay VAT on these essential pieces of equipment that can save lives.
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Like others, I welcome the JobsPlus initiative announced in recent days by the Ministers, Deputies Bruton and Burton. I championed this cause in this House and at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on numerous occasions. That was acknowledged by the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and by the Chairman of the committee today. Whereas self-praise is no praise, I point out to those who see no value in this House that this is another example of where we have been proved to be effective. When I raised the issue in this House I got cross-party support and it is now being rolled out on a pilot basis.
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That is an achievement for the Seanad.
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I also asked the Minister whether the JobsPlus plan has any negative impact on other incentives to employ people, such as the tax incentives and enterprise board employment grants. I am glad to say that it does not. It is a major boost particularly for employers in rural areas to have these packages to take these people off the live register.
Again, I am delighted that that idea originated in this House.