Written answers
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Department of Social Protection
Employment Support Services
9:00 pm
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the progress made with the revised pilot employment action programme that was been rolled out during the tenure in office of the previous Minister, the number of people contacted, the number who turned up for interview, the number referred for the Tús scheme and the number who have had payments ceased or suspended and any other relevant information; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10745/11]
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The then Minister for Finance announced the introduction of a community work placement initiative for up to 5,000 persons in his Budget statement to Dáil Éireann on the 7th December 2010. The initiative, known as Tús, was launched on the 21st December 2010 and work on developing the necessary implementation structures has been underway since then. The aim of Tús is to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. Some €30 million has been provided in the Department's Estimates in 2011 to fund the roll-out of the initiative.
Following the launch, the Department conducted two trials to develop the delivery of Tús. One trial was based in the Coolock area of Dublin City with the other based in Mullingar, County Westmeath. A total of 119 persons were randomly selected from the live register and offered the opportunity to participate. The results of both trials have been evaluated and the results have informed the development of the initiative.
The preliminary results of both trials are summarised in the table.
TABLE
| Coolock local office | Mullingar local office | |||
| Number of person invited | 59 | 100% | 60 | 100% |
| Initial replies received | 49 | 83% | 51 | 85% |
| Failed to reply/suspended | 10 | 17% | 9 | 15% |
| Signed off live register | 1 | - | 0 | - |
| Of those who replied: | ||||
| Expressed interest | 41 | 69% | 44 | 73% |
| Not interested | 8 | 14% | 7 | 12% |
| Interested after suspension | 9 | 15% | 9 | 15% |
| Of those referred to the Local Development Company/Partnership | ||||
| Total Referred | 50 | 100% | 53 | 100% |
| Expressed interest | 50 | 100% | 46 | 86% |
| Not interested in interview | 0 | 0% | 7 | 14% |
| Called to interview/meeting | 50 | 100% | 46 | 100% |
| Attended | 50 | 100% | 33 | 75% |
| Did not attend | 0 | 0% | 13 | 25% |
| Suitable for placement | 40 | 80% | 18 | 58% |
| Not suitable for placement | 10 | 20% | 15 | 42% |
Arrangements are being made to offer work opportunities for those suitable in the coming weeks.
Promotion of Tús to potential work placement providers has been underway for some weeks as part of a process of identifying suitable work placements and local development companies are currently recruiting supervisory staff. The random selection of participants by the Department will commence in the coming weeks as the necessary arrangements become operational at local development company level.
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