Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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97. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will report on the roll-out of the Work Placement Experience Programme. [57931/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) was launched last July 2021 as a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025. WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide training and a quality work experience to unemployed person who have been unemployed for more that six months, which includes time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary.

Payments to participants are €306 per week plus increases for qualified adults and children and underlying entitlement to secondary benefits (such as fuel allowance, Christmas bonus) are also maintained by the participant. The payment is not means assessed and is paid to all participants, regardless of age. The personal rate of payment will increase to €311 in January in consequence of increases approved under Budget 2022.

There are currently 161 participants approved for WPEP of whom 52% are under 30 years of age. The gender split is 43% male and 57% female participants. While most participants have transitioned to WPEP from jobseeker payments 13 have come from a disability payment and 11 from Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP).

As expected, urban areas such as Dublin and Galway have the highest number of participants with 17% and 12% respectively. The sector with the largest number of WPEP positions have been provided in the Human Health and Social Work Activities sector at 19%. The Information and Communication sector is the next highest with 16%.

All placements will undertake 60 hours of training, to include 20 hours of accredited or sector-recognised training. Options have been created with the Education and Training Board to access a new QQI accredited work placement award which is delivered by the Education and Training Board. To date there have been 21 referrals to QQI level courses. In addition, two WPEP Lunch Bunchwebinars have been held to support jobseekers in their job-seeking learning and development to include an outline of training resources on JobsIreland.ie, showcasing the QQI accredited work experience module, other training assets and supports and mindfulness for jobseekers. Host organisations are also supported in their mentoring role for participants with an online mentoring workshop in collaborations with the ETBs.

There are 83 placements currently advertised on jobsireland. Work is ongoing with my Department's employer engagement teams and Intreo Offices in promoting this scheme with employers and jobseekers and I expect the numbers on this scheme to continue to increase over the coming months.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she plans to take to ensure that all available places are taken up on the community employment, Tús and rural social schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56745/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Social Protection delivers a range of employment and income support schemes including Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).

The aims of CE and Tús schemes are to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing valuable work experience opportunities, while CE also provides training supports for participants.

RSS is an income support programme that provides part-time employment opportunities within community and voluntary organisations in local areas for farmers, fishermen and fisherwomen in receipt of Farm/Fish Assist, or certain other social welfare payments, and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.

I am very aware of the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 emergency and the related public health restrictions, including the impact CE and Tús schemes in recruiting new participants. My Department has continued to support CE and Tús schemes throughout the period and introduced a number of contingency measures including the extension of CE and Tús participants’ contracts on a number of occasions.

At present, CE and Tús schemes are benefitting from the extension of over 18, 000 CE and just over 5,000 Tús participants' contracts up until 4th February 2022. After this date, these participants will leave schemes on a phased basis up to January 2023. This will ensure that participants are able to fully avail of the work experience and training opportunities available, enable schemes to maintain local community services, while the newer cohort long term unemployed persons are referred to fill places and avail of these opportunities.

My Department's activation services have returned in full and my officials are prioritising the referral and recruitment of eligible jobseekers to CE and Tús. Time spent on PUP will count towards eligibility for unemployed persons participation on CE and Tús and will provide valuable opportunities for those persons whose jobs may not return post COVID.

My Department officials are continuing to work with local CE sponsoring authorities and Tús implementing bodies to refer suitable CE and Tús candidates to fill places on schemes. CE sponsoring authorities can advertise vacancies on www.jobsireland.ie, the Department’s online job advertising and recruitment service for jobseekers and employers. Jobseekers are advised to register their interest through this website or by contacting a case officer in their local Intreo Centre who will refer eligible candidates to local CE schemes.

Participation on RSS is by self-selection with applications made directly to one of the implementing bodies that deliver the scheme locally. Implementing bodies are required to promote and publicise RSS and aim to fill those places assigned to them by the Department. RSS continues to be promoted through the Department and eligible candidates are referred to RSS implementing bodies where they express an interest.

I am fully committed to the future of these programmes and will continue to support and improve the programmes for the benefit of the CE, Tús and RSS participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities throughout the country.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.