A pilot programme designed by training authority FAS to bring long-term unemployed people into the workforce may be extended throughout the State after 73 per cent of participants "signed off" the live register in eight months.
The intensive programme conducted in Kilkenny and Ballyfermot, west Dublin, sought the systematic engagement of all people unemployed in the areas for more than six months.
Carried out between October 1999 and last May, the "full-engagement" scheme resulted in social welfare savings of about £1.7 million (€2.16 million). The direct additional cost to FAS was £200,000.
While a report to FAS's board of directors said the long-term impact of the pilot should be monitored, it found the programme helped many people to get jobs, training and education.
Participants were referred to FAS, which arranged to interview and advise them, "several times in many cases", before referring them to suitable jobs, training or other options. A group support programme was also developed.
The pilot was carried out in co-operation with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. A copy of the report has also been passed to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which monitors the Government's policy of countering the labour shortage by attracting long-term unemployed people into the workforce.
"FAS ran a number of special training programmes to help achieve this success. Nearly three-quarters of those referred to FAS under the process were no longer signing on at the end," the report said.
About 746 people were referred to the authority in Ballyfermot and 524 had signed off the register by the end of the programme. The report also showed that 195 people did not attend for interview and 157 of these signed off immediately.
In Kilkenny, 808 people were referred to FAS and 603 had signed off by the end of the pilot.
Four categories of clients were encountered, the report said. Among these were those reluctant to become involved because they saw little likely benefit.
"There was a mixture of persons of this type, but many were older males [over 45] who felt they were too old to obtain employment. Most of these persons had been employed in manual occupations previously and perceived themselves as unable physically to meet the requirements of such jobs. "In addition, they feared that taking a job which, for any reason, did not last would put their benefit/allowance entitlements at risk (at least in the short term)."
While the report concluded some participants had "unrealistic" wage expectations, it found other issues related to literacy, childcare, ex-offender, illness or family problems.
