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Employment Support Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Ceisteanna (408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 413)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

408. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to relax the criteria stipulating that a person must be unemployed for at least one year in order to avail of the community employment and Tús schemes, in light of increasing unemployment figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31513/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

409. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a prospect of creating a two-tier scheme for Tús in a scenario (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31514/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

410. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered extending the base of those who can apply for the Tús scheme from those who are in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit to include those on other forms of social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31515/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

411. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to fuse the Tús and community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31516/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

412. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if supervisors within the Tús and community employment schemes could be afforded further discretion to allow members of the schemes to transfer from community employment to Tús and vice versa in order to increase their employability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31517/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

413. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if rules regarding access to the Tús scheme can be relaxed in light of Covid-19 and in order to increase intake into the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31518/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 to 413, inclusive, together.

My Department provides a range of income supports and activation measures for people who become long-term unemployed, and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include Tús and community employment (CE), both of which are positive initiatives that enable participants to make a valuable contribution to their communities.

Tús and CE are active labour market programmes designed to provide eligible people with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis, while helping to break the cycle of unemployment and improving a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. Although the aims of Tús and CE are similar, there are some subtle differences between the two programmes.

Tús is confined to those who are on the live register and unemployed for more than a year, and the targeted activation of this cohort aims to provide additional assistance and a renewed impetus to these jobseekers that could otherwise be in danger of persistent long-term unemployment. The maximum duration for participation on Tús is 12 months.

The focus of CE is also on the cohort of long-term unemployed people but it extends to other disadvantaged persons. CE has an additional training and up-skilling element which enables CE participants to achieve a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) major award. In general, participation on CE for those aged between 21 and 55 years is for 1 year. Where a CE participant is working towards a QQI major award or working towards a recognised industry standard, their time on CE may be extended by up 2 years to complete this training. In addition, those over 55 years of age can remain on CE for 3 years.

Although both employment programmes have similar aims, there are currently no plans to fuse the Tús and CE schemes or to provide discretion to the supervisors of these schemes to transfer participants from one scheme to another. There is however an opportunity for a Tús participant who has completed their 12 month placement on Tús, to apply for a placement on CE should they wish to pursue the training and development opportunities available through CE.

The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. There are currently no plans to change the qualifying criteria for Tús or CE, to widen the range of qualifying social welfare payments for Tús or to extend the duration of placement on Tús beyond twelve months, as per the proposal of a two-tiered delivery; or in light of Covid-19. Tús and CE will continue to support those who are furthest removed from the labour market.

As the Deputy will be aware, as part of the July Stimulus Package, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on State Employment Schemes, including Tús and CE. This will provide opportunities for an increase in existing Tús and CE participant numbers and services provided to local communities.

A number of factors will inform the decision on the allocation of the additional places. These factors will include training and development opportunities, participant development requirements, existing employment support schemes and regional Live Register data.

My Department continues to keep under review the overall operation of Tús and CE, and is very aware of the significant number of people who are actively engaged with these programmes in the delivery of valuable services to local communities throughout the country.

I am fully committed to the future of these programmes and will continue to support and improve these programmes for the benefit of the Tús and CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.

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