Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

291. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to make changes to the format of the rural social scheme and Tús schemes; his plans to amalgamate any of the community employment and work activation schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2679/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department provides a range of programmes, including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), to cater for those most distant from the labour market. These programmes aim to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities while at the same time delivering a range of positive benefits within local communities.

Tús was introduced in 2011 and the numbers on CE were expanded as a direct response to the growth in the level of unemployment during the financial crisis. It is in this context that the Department did a comprehensive review of CE and the other employment schemes that was completed in late 2015. The findings, which have not been published to date, will be considered as part of a Memorandum to Government on work programmes in the coming weeks.

In any consideration of these schemes, it will be important also to be cognisant of the valuable community and voluntary services delivered to local communities. In this context, it is worth noting that I recently announced details about the roll out of 500 additional places on the RSS which increases the overall numbers on the RSS to 3,100. This is the first increase in places in over 10 years.

I trust that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.