I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.
Gateway is a Government initiative with Local Authorities which aims to provide short-term quality and suitable opportunities to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. There are currently 1,902 participants on Gateway across all county and city council areas.
The following table below sets out the numbers of places allocated to each local authority together with the number of jobseekers engaged on Gateway as of Friday, 6 March.
County/City Council
|
Allocated
|
Employed 6/3/15
|
Carlow
|
55
|
41
|
Cavan
|
55
|
28
|
Clare
|
80
|
31
|
Cork City
|
110
|
93
|
Cork
|
215
|
141
|
Donegal
|
80
|
26
|
Fingal
|
215
|
161
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
|
110
|
49
|
Dublin City
|
295
|
43
|
Galway City
|
55
|
38
|
Galway
|
80
|
57
|
Kerry
|
80
|
70
|
Kildare
|
110
|
42
|
Kilkenny
|
80
|
45
|
Laois
|
55
|
25
|
Leitrim
|
55
|
45
|
Limerick
|
110
|
110
|
Longford
|
55
|
5
|
Louth
|
80
|
73
|
Meath
|
110
|
101
|
Monaghan
|
55
|
46
|
Mayo
|
80
|
95
|
Offaly
|
55
|
48
|
Roscommon
|
55
|
52
|
Sligo
|
55
|
31
|
South Dublin
|
215
|
126
|
Waterford
|
80
|
42
|
Westmeath
|
80
|
78
|
Wexford
|
80
|
28
|
Wicklow
|
80
|
76
|
Tipperary
|
80
|
56
|
|
3,000
|
1,902
|
Responsibility for the designation of work to be undertaken under Gateway rests with individual county and city councils. The scheme is broadly drawn and can encompass a wide range of duties relating to the delivery of services for which local authorities have responsibilities. The Department of Social Protection’s role is limited to the selection of participants for recruitment and for providing the resources necessary to pay the participants.