Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to allow the Tús scheme and the community employment schemes to retain current participants even if their term is complete (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25712/17]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to ensure the community employment scheme remains operational within the communities it serves; and his views on the pivotal social good they provide and that they are not simply labour activation schemes. [25892/17]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of his Department's plans for the Tús scheme and the community employment schemes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25713/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 46 and 94 together.

Community Employment (CE) and Tús are active labour market programmes with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. Participation limits on these schemes are necessary to allow for the utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons to ensure the benefits of these schemes are available to the widest possible number of jobseekers. It is important to note that these placements are not full-time sustainable jobs. Instead, they are designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the open labour market.

The Deputies will appreciate that the welcome increase in the number of people at work and the continued reduction in Live Register numbers is a factor in recruitment to all work programmes in recent times. If any scheme is experiencing particular difficulties filling vacancies, they should contact their local DSP Intreo office for assistance.

I recently got Government approval for a number of changes to the CE scheme which will assist in broadening the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and will also standardise other conditions around the length of time a person can participate on the programme. My officials are currently meeting with sponsors throughout the country to discuss the various changes to be implemented. In this context, it should be noted that I am not planning to change the current participation limit of one year on the Tús scheme.

I would like to reiterate that the Government strongly supports the work being done through these schemes and I have seen first-hand myself, over recent months, the vital role such schemes are playing in local communities, including supporting social services, across the entire country.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.