Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
122. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the community employment, TUS and rural social schemes and the supports that are available from her Department to help persons back to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38525/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
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.
Tús is a community work placement initiative that provides short-term, quality work opportunities in community and voluntary sectors for those who are unemployed for more than a year.
In addition, the rural social scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation. There are just under 2,900 participants on RSS.
In order to assist schemes to maintain services in the current tight labour market, Minister Humphreys and I recently announced a number of reforms to CE, Tús and RSS. These will improve recruitment, remove the six year time limit on RSS for all participants while continuing the practice whereby CE placements can be extended until suitable replacements are available to fill vacancies. These reforms will ensure that all RSS participants can now remain on the scheme until they reach state pension age and will improve access to employment schemes in general.
Feedback received to date in relation to all of the reforms has been positive and it is expected that these, in addition to changes introduced earlier this year, will have a positive impact at individual scheme level over the coming months.
In addition to these employment supports for long term unemployed, Government is supporting a range of initiatives to assist people back to work; as outlined under the Economic Recovery Plan and national employment services strategy, ‘Pathways to Work 2021-2025’. With the rate of unemployment now at just under 5% - these initiatives are working well.
Initiatives to support unemployed people back to work include an expanded JobsPlus recruitment subsidy scheme, an additional 50,000 education and training places, and the new Work Placement Experience Programme. My department has a team of Intreo Case Officers and Job Coaches nationwide providing a one-to-one career advice service and tailored employment supports to jobseekers.
In conclusion, my department is fully committed to the future of employment support programmes and will continue to support and improve programmes for the benefit of long term unemployed participants and given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services. I am also confident that the implementation of the national and local policy measures and responses outlined above will assist the full range of jobseekers find a pathway back to employment.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
