Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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216. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to review the Tús scheme to allow persons to have a two-year placement and to allow persons over 55 years of age to be eligible for another placement after one year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18626/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Tús provides part-time temporary work in the communities, as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a long term jobseeker’s payment. However, Tús placements are not full-time sustainable jobs. Tús is designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the labour market. Tús participants work for an average of 19½ hours a week and placements last for maximum of 12 months.

The twelve month duration of the Tús contract is set to reflect a number of inter-related elements. These include the need to ensure the benefit of participation on a work scheme is available to the widest possible number of jobseekers and that weaknesses identified in other work programmes with longer duration placements are not replicated in Tús. Accordingly, there are no plans to extend the scheme to longer than a 12 months duration or change the eligibility conditions for persons over 55 years of age. After 3 years, a person can become eligible for a further 12 month placement on Tús.

When a person has completed their year on Tús, they should arrange to meet with a departmental case officer to explore other opportunities to assist them to return to employment. Opportunities may be available on a community employment (CE) scheme where a person is interested in pursuing a work placement that may have a longer duration in order to complete certified training. Time spent on Tús is considered for accessing CE.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.