Written answers

Tuesday, 19 June 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Tús Programme

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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535. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to extend the duration of Tús schemes beyond one year; and if the number of persons that find employment in the period after completing Tús schemes is recorded. [26361/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. Tús provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping stone back to employment. The objective of the scheme is to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities in returning to the labour market. I can confirm that 42.4% of those that participated in Tús in the last 12 months are no longer on the Live Register.

All participants and community groups are aware of the time limits for participation on these schemes. 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. There are no circumstances under which a person’s term on Tús will be extended beyond twelve months and it is not in the interest of any participant that such work placements extend for prolonged periods of time. Accordingly, there are no plans to extend the Tús scheme to longer than 12 months duration.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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