Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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531. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if persons with a disability will be eligible to participate in the new Government initiative gateway scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13618/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The purpose of Gateway 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 24 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 in receipt of disability payments are not, therefore, eligible for participation on Gateway. I currently have no plans to extend the qualifying criteria beyond that identified above.