Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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250. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when self-referral will be introduced by her Department in respect of participants in the Tús – work placement initiative. [18547/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Tús, the community work placement initiative, was established to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. The selection is focused on those on the live register for a year or more and in receipt of a jobseekers' payment who have more limited job or work placement opportunities. One key feature of Tús is that selection is undertaken by random processes conducted at local level by the Department of Social Protection. The Tús initiative has been developed to allow for an assisted referral process for up 20% of participants. This will facilitate jobseekers to apply to be considered for recruitment to the initiative. In such cases the application from eligible jobseekers will be mediated through a Case Officer in the Department.

Tús is one of a number of interventions my Department funds and manages to enable the attainment of the priorities established by the Government in Pathways to Work. Community employment, Gateway and JobBridge also operate on a self-referral basis whereby a person who is unemployed can apply to participate.

Advice on the opportunities across a range of work placement, internships, self-employment, training and educational supports and options can be accessed via the Department's offices and Intreo service and further information is available on the Department's website – www.welfare.ie.