Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when the Tús scheme will be rolled out in south Mayo and if applications for workers to work a location (details supplied) can proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18368/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Tús is a community work placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 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. This initiative is being delivered through the network of local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas.

South West Mayo Development Company has been allocated 60 participant and three supervisory positions. The recruitment to two supervisory positions has been completed and staff members are currently in place. The random selection of eligible participants is currently underway and the first 40 participants are expected to begin work within the next three weeks. With respect to work placements, South West Mayo Development has conducted an extensive programme of advertising and community information. The company is currently identifying and profiling suitable work opportunities for Tús participants. Applications for work at the sites detailed by the Deputy are being considered by the company and the heritage services of Mayo County Council. The Deputy may wish to note that both sites are currently in receipt of services from the Rural Social Scheme.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 338: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of participants, broken down with reference to each integrated company and Údarás na Gaeltachta, employed on the Tús scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18369/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Tús is a community work placement initiative which will provide up to 5,000 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. This initiative is being delivered through the network of local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas.

The first participants are due to join the payroll this week and reach the initial target of 1,000 during July. At the end of June, of those invited to participate by the Department, just over 1,000 persons had agreed to participate. Profiling, interviewing and placement of these prospective participants has commenced with a view to filling the majority of the 1,800 work placements identified so far by local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta by the not-for-profit, community and voluntary sectors across the country as soon as possible.