Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1304. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the materials grant to community employment schemes and Tús by 10%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41671/22]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection operates a number of employment support schemes for long term unemployed persons which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services. Currently, there are some 24,000 participants engaged on the two schemes supporting long term unemployed persons back to work: Community Employment and Tús.
Tús is a community work placement initiative that provides short-term, work opportunities in community and voluntary sectors for those who are unemployed for more than a year. There is no materials grant funding provided towards this scheme.
Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. It supports projects that provide work experience for long term unemployed persons. The programme is delivered through CE sponsor organisations in the community and voluntary sector.
CE sponsor organisations receive annual contracts from my department, which funds the employment of both CE participants and CE supervisors. Funding is also provided towards training and material costs. The materials grant is a contribution towards the running costs of the scheme and covers consumable services and materials necessary for the effective operation of the CE project including such items as employers and public liability insurance, tools, stationery, audit fees, bank charges (excluding bank interest), protective clothing and the hiring of equipment.
Materials funding is provided to CE sponsor organisations in accordance with their requirements. The Department provided an additional materials allocation of €2 million in Budget 2019 and this additional annual provision continues to be allocated to those projects that identify a valid requirement for additional materials funding. The material grant provided to CE sponsor organisations in 2021 was €12.1 million, so a 10% increase in this funding would amount to an additional €1.21 million expenditure.
If a CE sponsor organisation is experiencing difficulty with rising energy and fuel costs, or any other expense and is seeking further funding under the materials grant, they should make an application through my Department's Community Development Officer assigned to their CE scheme.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
