Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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281. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons that have completed their participation on a community employment scheme are not permitted to transfer immediately to a Tús scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28596/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) and Tús are active labour market programmes with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. 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. Tús places are reserved for those who are in danger of becoming distant from the labour market. A person cannot go directly from CE to Tús. Eligibility for the Tús scheme is confined to those on the Live Register for 12 months and currently in receipt of a jobseekers allowance payment. Selection is by way of random selection of those eligible by the Department. A maximum of 30% of the places can also be filled by assisted referral. Time spent on CE does not count towards Tús eligibility. If the person concerned is unsuccessful in finding full-time work after their engagement on their CE scheme, it is open to them to contact their local Intreo Office to discuss other activation options that may be available to them.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.