Eoghan Murphy
Question:215. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering giving an exemption to professional actors from the Tús initiative (details supplied). [28828/13]
View answerTuesday, 18 June 2013
Questions (215)
Written answers
Tús, the community work placement initiative introduced during 2011, was set up to provide up to 5,000 short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. Since its inception, some 10,250 people have been provided with work with 5,483 currently working on Tús. Tús was expanded in the last budget to enable an additional 2,500 per annum to participate. A person cannot apply to participate on Tús. All selection is undertaken by random processes conducted at local level by the Department of Social Protection. The selection is focused on those on the Live Register for a year or more and in receipt of a jobseeker's payment who have more limited job or work placement opportunities. Participants are encouraged and facilitated to engage in work, while participating on Tús with a range of flexibilities allowed within the contract to work 19 and a half hours per week. If a participant receives an offer of work for a short period then they are allowed to temporarily leave Tús and return at a later date to complete their full 52 week placement. Participants can terminate their engagement on Tús at any time to take up full-time work as long as they do not seek to return to the live register. Casual workers, including professional actors, who apply for or receive some level of jobseekers payment are generally not selected for participation on Tús.
My understanding of the particular circumstances of the jobseeker that the Deputy has enquired about is that the he has not been designated as a casual worker by the Department given the limited amount of acting he has undertaken in recent years and therefore qualifies for selection for Tús.
Question No. 216 withdrawn.