David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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273. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of Gateway participants in Kilkenny County Council for each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; the number that progressed to employment within the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7128/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Gateway is a work placement scheme designed to provide short-term work opportunities for unemployed people in Local Authorities. The scheme commenced in December 2013. To be eligible to participate on Gateway, a person must have been continuously unemployed for at least 24 months. The initiative aims to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of the long term unemployed.

The following table sets out the number of Gateway participants who commenced employment with Kilkenny County Council in 2014, 2015, 2016 and to date 2017.

Table 1

Gateway participants work for an average of 19 ½ hours a week and the placement lasts for 22 months. In general therefore, those who commence a placement in 2014 will only complete the placement in 2016. It is worth noting that, of the 73 Gateway participants who commenced with Kilkenny County Council since 2014, a total of 13 people have progressed to temporary employment in Kilkenny County Council and one person has now progressed to permanent employment with the Council.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.