Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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667. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons participating in the community employment schemes, Tús and the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1824/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of programmes, including Community Employment (CE), Tús, and the Rural Social Scheme, to cater for the long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market.

The following are the numbers employed on the respective programmes as at year-end 2016:

Community Employment - 22,356

Tús - 7,273

Rural Social Scheme - 2,571

These programmes provide part-time temporary work with local sponsors in communities and aim to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition, they assist long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a regular work routine. The programmes deliver a range of positive benefits for both participants and their local communities.

With the ongoing welcome reduction in the Live Register, issues such the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and the criteria for participation on employment schemes, including CE are all being considered. I hope to be in position to bring a Memo to Government on these matters in the coming weeks. If there are any changes to be made to the CE scheme, consultations with stakeholders will be facilitated.

I trust that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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668. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons participating in the community employment schemes, Tús and rural social scheme, in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1825/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Number of persons participating in Community Employment Schemes, Tús and Rural Social Scheme in Co. Clare are as follows: