Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is currently considering putting a further extension in place for participants on community employment and Tús schemes; and her views on the fact that there are currently very limited employment opportunities for participants to move on to and also limited opportunities for sponsor groups to recruit participants. [45327/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme providing eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. Tús is a community work placement initiative providing more short-term work opportunities for people who have been unemployed over a year to support their return to employment.

As the Deputy is aware, as with other sectors of society, CE and Tús schemes were impacted by the public health restrictions introduced since the onset of COVID-19. My priority was to ensure CE and Tús schemes and participants were fully supported during this period. While some schemes were able to maintain services while complying with public health restrictions, this was not always the case. In both scenarios, CE and Tús participants, whose contracts were due to end during periods of public health restrictions, had their contracts extended on a number of occasions, most recently up to end October 2021.

With the successful roll-out of the vaccine programme and in line with Government’s plans for the full re-opening of the economy, under 'Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting’ my priority and the priority of the Department is to have all CE and Tús schemes back providing normal services and supports to unemployed participants while delivering vital services to local communities.

As part of this return to normal operations, a phased and planned schedule of exits for CE and Tús participants, some of whose contracts have been extended for up to one year, will commence in November 2021. I can reassure the Deputy that the exits will be carried out in a phased basis between November and May 2022. This means that many participants’ contacts will be extended beyond the end of October.

These final contract extensions will provide CE and Tús participants with an opportunity to benefit from further work experience on CE and Tús and also for CE participants to complete any outstanding training. The coordinated and phased exit approach will also support the recruitment of new CE and Tús participants while ensuring the ongoing delivery of important local community services.

I note the concern raised in relation to employment opportunities and recruitment of participants. However, it should be noted that one of the measures included in the Pathways to Work Strategy announced by Government in July, 2021 was an increase in the capacity of the Public Employment Service in Intreo Offices and contracted services to further support jobseekers through the provision of job search advice and assistance. This increased capacity will support persons who finish on CE and Tús, over the coming months.

These additional resources will be central to meeting the increased demand for employment services, given the impact of the pandemic on employment including new candidate referrals to fill CE and Tús vacancies. I anticipate that with the full re-opening of the economy we will be able to restore scheme participant levels, in addition to new places being assigned to a number of CE and Tús schemes, delivering on a key commitment under Pathways to Work.

CE sponsoring authorities and Tús implementing bodies are encouraged by my Department to continue to promote the benefits of CE and Tús in their local communities. Jobseekers interested in participating on CE or Tús can also contact a case officer in their local Intreo Centre who will refer those eligible onto local CE or Tús programmes.

CE sponsoring authorities also advertise their vacancies on www.jobsireland.ie, the Department’s online job advertising and recruitment service for jobseekers and employers.

In order to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcome for participants, CE and Tús will continue to be made available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, including those whose employment has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 emergency.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.