Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Gateway scheme; if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers engaged in the different types of work covered by the scheme and the gender profile of participants; and her views on whether the scheme, by compelling vulnerable citizens in receipt of social welfare to work for local authorities, is in breach of both the European Convention on Human Rights and the ILO C029 Forced Labour Convention. [5032/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to ask the Minister of State for an update on the Gateway scheme given that it was in breach of both the European Convention on Human Rights and the ILO C029 Forced Labour Convention as it compelled vulnerable citizens on social welfare to work for local authorities. What changes have been made or are intended to be made in the rolling out of the scheme?

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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It is not in breach of any of the conventions the Deputy has outlined, and he knows that very well. The best way to assist people who are distant from the workforce is to bring them back into employment. Several schemes that have been run by the Department of Social Protection have helped people immensely in returning to employment.

More than €1 billion is available in 2015 for employment and education supports for jobseekers and other welfare recipients across a number of schemes. Funding of the order of €22.4 million is being provided in the Department’s Vote in 2015 to cover placements under the Gateway scheme. At the end of January, 1,781 persons were employed by county and city councils. Of these, 85% are male and 15% are female. While a broad variety of work is provided by the councils, the majority of positions identified as being suitable for Gateway placements relate to services of an environmental or outdoor nature. A breakdown of the types of work being done illustrates this. Just under one third of participants are currently engaged in caretaking and the upkeep and repair of facilities, such as beaches, housing, and sports and community facilities. Roughly one quarter are employed in tourism and village and urban upkeep. More than one fifth of participants are employed on the development and maintenance of walks, leisure trails and heritage projects, including cemeteries and parks. Around 13% of participants are involved in supporting council administration and related services, and 5% are involved in the upkeep of roadways, with around 4% covering waste management. Gateway, Tús and other community schemes are designed to meet a range of objectives for the broader community and individual jobseekers.

It is unfortunate that the Deputy is not looking at the positives of the Gateway scheme. I have taken the time to meet Gateway participants and to listen to their stories, which are very enlightening and, to some degree, uplifting. The participants tell me about how long they have been out of the workforce, the opportunity and hope the scheme has given them, the network they have created and the friends they have made.

Already, participants are exiting the Gateway scheme into employment. The Deputy should take the time to talk to the participants. He may be very much surprised by their response. They are contributing to their communities and derive from this a sense of pride and fulfilment. Before being too negative about this, the Deputy should talk to some of the people involved in the scheme and working under it daily.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have talked to them. If the Minister of State and Minister had listened to my criticism of the Gateway scheme, they would have learned there is no proper training or structure to it. I have always argued that a model similar to the community employment model should have been used. It would have allowed somebody to come out the other end with a qualification or achievement that can be put on a CV, rather than requiring him to say he spent two years pulling weeds, filling sandbags or cutting hedges. The scheme jobs are specifically set up to displace local authority staff.

I have come across two changes, which are welcome if they have been implemented. I saw a letter from an assistant principal officer in the Department to a council official that indicated a number of changes. It stated that, in the event that a jobseeker does not wish to participate in Gateway, the Department is committed to finding other suitable activation measures or identifying whether other supports are more appropriate. Will the Department confirm that this means the threat of the reduction or withdrawal of payment for refusing to participate on Gateway has been lifted?

The second change is one that I had encouraged from the start, which confirms I have not been negative, as the Minister of State has alleged. The change involves the addition of a voluntary application process. If this applies, can it be extended to the Tús programme. I also have problems with this programme but I have not been totally negative because of its benefits, sometimes to the community. I have always argued there needs to be a training grant given in all of the schemes, as in the CE scheme.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under Gateway, there is already self-referral. I can confirm this is happening, probably as a result of the number of parliamentary questions from Members of the House.

With regard to Tús, I will shortly be announcing self-referral, with the relevant proportion being approximately 10% in the first instance. Again, this is a result of demand.

On the question about Gateway, a sum of money is already provided by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to local authorities. I do not have the exact figure to hand but it is approximately €600. If the Deputy wishes, I can clarify it. I am just speaking off the top of my head so do not want to be held to the exact figure.

I know from the local authorities I have visited and from reports that local authorities provide a range of training initiatives before employees come on site. They cover health and safety, HAP, first aid, etc. In the authority I visited in Swords, a variety of training options were given before the Gateway employees came on site.

It is important to realise the majority of local authorities that have bought into this and the local authorities I have visited, whose CEOs I have talked to about this matter, have opened up a wide range of internal training opportunities. They treat the Gateway workers as equals. The scheme has been operating well only where there has been full engagement with the trade union and assistance from the trade union movement to ensure there is no displacement of local authority workers.

Some of the most successful schemes across the country, from Mayo to Dublin and down to Limerick, and certainly the initiatives in Fingal are excellent. They have allowed many people to reconnect with the workforce. I acknowledge the Deputy is as committed to getting as many people back to work as any other.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I will be brief because my point follows on from what the Minister of State is saying. Is he aware that some senior council officials have said it is their intention to use Gateway participants instead of recruiting staff, even with the recruitment embargo lifted? Does he agree that the Gateway scheme should never be a scheme to displace council staff and other full-time employees, and that a message in this regard should go out to council officials who intend to use or abuse the Gateway scheme to replace staff to do certain work?

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I am not aware of any senior council officials who have said that. I would very much welcome it if the Deputy drew my attention to the local authorities to which he is referring. He knows from his community, which is similar to mine, that the Gateway scheme provides an opportunity to the long-term unemployed to reconnect with the workforce. If the Deputy has a specific allegation about a specific local authority that has made the alleged statements on the scheme, I would welcome it if he brought it to my attention.