Mr. Martin Corcoran:

I agree with Deputy Ó Cuív about the reforms of Tús. We had an interesting insight into the extension of Tús as we came out of lockdown when contracts were extended. We have seen the benefits of that in terms of the participants and the service. It meant so much to people for contracts to be extended and we are seeing the benefits of that. I would definitely welcome reform in that regard.

One of the fundamental issues here about referrals is the referral system itself. It seems to vary across the country in terms of the referrals from the Department. Some offices seem to be better than others. A bit of creativity and effort on the part of the Department might be needed.

Youth unemployment, at 15.8%, is quite very, so there may be a possibility for Tús to engage on that area. Over the years, we have seen the fallout of long-term unemployment for youth. I definitely think there is a role for Tús to play here in looking at solutions to long-term unemployment for those aged under 25. I agree with Deputy Ó Cuív that we need to start looking at extending Tús, possibly to two or three years. A bit of creativity around that would be very welcome.