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Work Placement Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 April 2014

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Questions (307, 310, 311, 312, 313, 317, 355)

Paul Connaughton

Question:

307. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility criteria for the Gateway programme; if it is envisaged that persons on disability allowance will gain work with local authorities as part of this programme and if so, if any indications are available as to the numbers involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18738/14]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

310. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Tús or Gateway schemes are not open to persons who are in receipt of disability allowance. [18783/14]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

311. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason those who are interested in the Tús or Gateway schemes cannot have their interest in being a participant in such scheme recorded-included in those who would be allocated a place. [18784/14]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

312. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the logic behind refusing to have a training budget for the Gateway participants to enhance their employability. [18785/14]

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Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

313. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the logic behind the failure to have supervisors to co-ordinate, liaise and monitor participants as part of the Gateway scheme. [18786/14]

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Barry Cowen

Question:

317. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made to date on the roll-out of the Gateway project. [18804/14]

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Paul Connaughton

Question:

355. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce a scheme which will allow local authorities to employ persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19111/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 310 to 313, inclusive, 317 and 355 together.

The purpose of Gateway and Tús is to focus on jobseekers who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is confined to those on the Live Register and receiving a jobseekers allowance payment for 24 months in the case of Gateway and 12 months for Tús. Selection for both schemes is by way of random selection of those eligible by the Department. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those jobseekers currently affected by long-term unemployment. Persons in receipt of disability payments are not, therefore, eligible for participation on either Gateway or Tús. I currently have no plans to extend the qualifying criteria beyond that identified above.

The level of placements allocated to Gateway is 3,000 with 7,500 allocated to Tús. As of 28th April, Gateway was supporting 177 participants and Tús 7,419. Some 380 Tús supervisory posts are also being supported. In respect of supervision on Gateway, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government recently sanctioned 150 acting-up allowances for existing staff to support the scheme. That Department has also provided €2m in funding as a contribution towards once-off costs such as health and safety, training for specified tasks and personal protective equipment.

The operation of all schemes funded, either in part or full, by this Department is monitored on an on-going basis and changes are introduced to facilitate more efficient and effective operation and/or to better address the needs of jobseekers. In this context, the Department is currently examining a range of options to provide jobseekers interested in working on either Gateway or Tús with opportunities to access and participate on the schemes.

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