Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including persons on lone parents allowance for consideration on the Tús initiative scheme and other such employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15504/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of the Tús scheme is to focus on those people who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is at present confined to those on the Live Register for 12 months and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those currently affected by long-term unemployment. Persons already in employment are not eligible for these positions.

Participants will, in the first instance, be identified by the Department of Social Protection by applying the following conditions:

· A person must be unemployed and in receipt of a jobseeker's payment for at least 12 months, and

· Currently be in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, and

· Be fully unemployed.

People in receipt of the one parent family payment are not eligible for the scheme. They do, however, have access to a range of other supports such as family income supplement, back to work enterprise allowance, back to education allowance and earnings disregards. The operation of Tús, including the eligibility criteria, will be kept under review and will inform the evaluation process in due course.