Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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133. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to scrap the Gateway local authority labour activation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21389/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Gateway initiative is one of a range of activation programmes included in the Pathways to Work 2016-2020 strategy to help jobseekers back to employment. Gateway provides work placements in local authorities for a period of 22 months to those who are unemployed for more than two years.

Gateway assists the personal and social development of long-term unemployed persons by providing quality work opportunities. The initiative also helps local authorities to fulfil commitments in respect of the activation agenda and to undertake work of benefit to the local community.

There are currently no plans to close the Gateway scheme. However, with the ongoing welcome reductions in the live register, I believe that a review of work schemes, including Gateway, will be necessary. This will ensure that the number and nature of schemes, as well as the conditions governing participation, continue to be appropriate. I will be considering all of these issues over the coming months.