Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the proposals from Social Justice Ireland for the creation of 100,000 part-time jobs in the public, community and voluntary sector in which the long-term unemployed could volunteer to participate in exchange for which they would be paid the going rate for the job and work the number of hours required to earn the equivalent of their social welfare payment up to a maximum of 19.5 hours plus a small top-up, €20; that participants would be remunerated principally through the re-allocation of social welfare payments and they would be allowed to take up other work in their spare time without incurring loss of benefits; and that income would be liable to tax in the ordinary way should their income level bring them into the tax net; and if she will introduce such a scheme. [29046/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am aware of the proposals made by Social Justice Ireland and the key features that would underpin the operation of such an initiative. I have some concerns about this proposal relating to the displacement effects and other distortions that might be caused to an already difficult labour market, including the longer term sustainability of the sector and volunteering. In addition, based on experience with the operation of a number of community and work placements initiatives, my Department is not convinced that the capacity exists to provide meaningful and rewarding employment opportunities within the sectors referred to in the proposal.

The Department currently operates a number of initiatives that use a similar model to that proposed. These include community employment, the rural social scheme, job initiative, Tús and the community services programme. Together, these initiatives will support over 35,000 people in work placements under various initiatives by the end of 2011. These are in addition to the JobBridge initiative which launched during the summer as part of the Government's Jobs Initiative and which aims to supports 5,000 people in internships.