Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Job Initiative (JI) is an employment support scheme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities.  Recruitment onto the scheme ceased from November 2004.  At the end of May 2022, there were 453 JI participants employed by managing agents nationally.

The Budget for 2022 is just over €11.8 million.  The JI rate for participants has increased from €420 in 2016 to €461 in 2022.  The current rate for JI participants is for 39 hours per week and equates to €11.82 per hour, which is above the current minimum wage of €10.50 per hour.  In addition, JI participants can also receive other Social Welfare benefits such as the annual Christmas Bonus and the retention of their medical card.

The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices.  To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government announced additional expenditure measures to a total of €505 million which will make a positive impact on the homes of all households in our country.  Included in these measures is the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment of €200 which has been paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the Household Benefits package to qualifying households. 

The Department acknowledges the valuable and dedicated service that JI team leaders and JI participants provide in delivering local based community services.  The Department is fully committed to the future of employment support programmes and will continue to support and improve them for the benefit of the supervisors, team leaders and participants, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.