Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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279. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason participants on the jobs initiative programme that are now required to work 39 hours per week up from 34 hours per week as worked previously by some will not be receiving salary increases to reflect these additional hours being applied to their working week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20518/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Job Initiative (JI) scheme was launched by FÁS in 1996 and transferred to my Department with effect from 1 January 2012. A Memorandum of Agreement for the contract period is completed annually between my Department and the Managing Agents for this scheme. My Department provides financial funding to schemes towards administration costs, participant and supervisor wages.

Recruitment to JI ceased with effect from 10 November 2004 and the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment allowed for JI participants at the time to have their contracts renewed on an annual basis until they either resigned voluntarily or reached retirement age and my Department have continued to honour this. Participants on JI were always required to work 39 hours per week (excluding breaks) for the Managing Agent, this has not changed.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.