Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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324. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the Tús scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54258/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Tús was introduced by the Department of Social Protection to deliver on the policy objectives set out in Pathways to Work and to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Participants on are required to work in their placement for an average of 19.5 hours per week which allows for participation in part-time work or education. Participants are encouraged to engage in part-time work or education outside the time spent working on Tús. Part-time work or training must not interfere with the participant’s work on Tús. Implementing Bodies are required to provide flexible arrangements to accommodate the participant. In general, it is not possible for a participant to terminate their engagement on Tús to move to part-time work.

Participants are encouraged to engage in work search whilst engaged on Tús and will be supported to pursue a full time job option. Under certain circumstances Tús participants can move directly to community employment where this is deemed to be a suitable progression opportunity and the person is not job ready or where provisions not available with Tús are determined to be a better option to support a person back to the labour market. In general, community employment is not considered a suitable option for a person who is job ready.