Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that employment scheme sponsors, such as rural social schemes and community employment schemes, are no longer receiving recommendations from local social welfare offices for vacancies that arise on such schemes; the reason this is the case; his views on whether JobPath is obstructing such schemes from filling vacancies that arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8861/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. This includes programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Rural Social Scheme (RSS).

These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also conscious of the valuable contribution the schemes are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.

CE Sponsors advertise CE vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website, www.jobsireland.ie. Posting vacancies is a relatively simple process and a dedicated video tutorial is available on the site to assist sponsors. Anyone requiring further assistance can contact my Department’s National Contact Centre by phone at Lo Call 1890 800 024 or (01) 248 1398, or by email at jobsireland@welfare.ie. Further enhancements will be made to the way in which CE vacancies are displayed on the site in the coming months.

Jobseekers can view CE vacancies online. Eligible candidates are referred to sponsors by case officers in the local Intreo Centres. My Department continues to refer candidates so I would advise sponsors who may be experiencing particular recruitment difficulties to contact their local DSP Intreo office with any concerns they may have in that regard.

Eligibility for participation on the RSS is limited to those in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and all participants must also be actively engaged in farming or fishing.

The JobPath service is provided for jobseekers only. The period of engagement with JobPath for any individual is typically 52 weeks. During that time, they receive intensive individual support to help them overcome barriers to employment and are also provided with a range of training and development supports, including online modules, career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. During the year, if a person is placed into a job they will continue to receive support for at least three months and up to an additional twelve months while in employment.

In general - and JobPath is no exception - job-seekers are not allowed to participate in two employment activation supports at the same time. Given the need to manage the allocation of places effectively, my Department does not facilitate or encourage jobseekers to leave one scheme early in order to take up a place on another scheme. Participation in other schemes remains an option once a person completes their JobPath engagement.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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132. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to set out the eligibility criteria being used to fill vacancies on employment schemes such as rural social schemes and community employment schemes; his Department's short, medium and long-term plans for such schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8862/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These include programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Rural Social Scheme (RSS).

CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a range of social welfare payments, including those on a long-term jobseeker’s payment. The standard minimum entry age for CE is 25 years of age. In general participants can avail of 12 months participation on CE. Lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is limited to 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age and 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to and including 65 years of age. Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked social welfare payment are eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps.

The RSS provides income support for farmers and fisherpersons who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments and the scheme helps to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Eligibility for participation on the RSS scheme is limited to those in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and all participants must also be actively engaged in farming or fishing.

The eligibility criteria for CE places is kept under on-going review to ensure they are effective in targeting long-term unemployed jobseekers and other specific disadvantaged groups. The Department is committed to continuing to enhance the effectiveness of the CE Programme and is conscious of the valuable contribution it is making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.

With the ongoing welcome reductions in the Live Register and the increasing number of job opportunities, the Deputy will appreciate that issues such as the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and the criteria for participation on employment schemes all need to be considered. I plan to bring a Memo for Government in the coming weeks about these matters. If there are changes to be made, consultations with stakeholders will be facilitated.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.