Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will make any changes to the Tús scheme including if she will introduce reforms to make participation in the scheme genuinely voluntary in view of the fact that it involves caring for older persons and persons with disabilities. [6011/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Tús is a new activation measure which will provide 5,000 people on the Live Register with a work placement opportunity with community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations and service providers. These work placements will be 12 months long and support the work of the voluntary sector across the country. Persons on the Live Register for at least 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance will be selected at random by the Department and offered an opportunity to participate in this work placement initiative. Where a customer does not wish to take up the opportunity, he or she is asked to provide reasons to the Department, and this may affect his or her payment. There are currently no plans to make changes to the eligibility or selection criteria for Tús.

Tús will be delivered via the 52 local development companies and by Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas. These bodies will have responsibility for the roll-out and delivery of Tús at local level and play a key role in identifying work placement opportunities and ensuring that persons selected for participation are matched with and suitable for the work placement.

Primary responsibility for ensuring the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults will rest with the work placement provider. The local development companies will be required to work with each placement provider to make arrangements in respect of Garda vetting and appropriate training in respect of child protection and security for vulnerable adults and the elderly.