Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 September 2013
111. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views outlining her Department's local authority employment initiative including the way the scheme operates, the funding assigned to it and the number of persons engaged on it. [39942/13]
View answerThe objective of Gateway is to assist the personal and social development of participants by providing short-term work opportunities with county and city councils with the objective of bridging the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Gateway is a joint initiative between this Department and county and city councils and responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with individual councils.
Participants are randomly selected by this Department from those on the Live Register for 24 months or more and currently in receipt of a jobseeker's payment. Those agreeing to be considered then have their contact details referred to the appropriate council for recruitment. Failure to respond to the Department’s invitation or to offer an acceptable reason for being unable to participate in Gateway can result in sanctions for the jobseeker. The selection of participants has recently commenced by the Department in respect of Louth, Cork City, Galway and Mayo councils and recruitment in these areas is commencing. County and city councils have projected that roughly 1,200 of 3,000 placements will be in the process of being filled by the end of 2013, with the remaining positions being filled during the first quarter of 2014.
The resources committed to Gateway by my Department for 2013 amounts to just over €11 million. The 2014 projected costs have yet to be finalised. I have contacted all county and city councils to urge them to identify suitable placements, consult with stakeholders and make internal and local preparations for the roll-out of Gateway at the earliest opportunity.
