Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to providing community employment, Tús, and rural social scheme supervisors with a bonus payment, in recognition of the work that they carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic and of the valuable work that they carry out in communities across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56844/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Department of Social Protections operates a number of employment support schemes for long term unemployed persons which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services. Currently, there are some 24,000 participants engaged on the two schemes supporting long term unemployed persons back to work; Community Employment and Tús, with a further 2,873 on the Rural Social Scheme.

There are just over 1,600 supervisors and assistant supervisors employed on these three schemes and I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE, Tús and RSS supervisors provide in running these schemes, in particular during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are invaluable in delivering local based community services while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market. I have been hugely impressed by the range and value of the work undertaken on these schemes, many of which I have had the opportunity to visit and witness at first hand.

The Department of Social Protection supported employment support schemes during the pandemic, in particular by extending participant contracts. As we emerged from the COVID-19, Minister Humphreys and I also introduced a number of reforms to rules governing schemes, to make sure they could continue to deliver vital community services. However, it is not envisaged that any bonus payment will be paid to CE, Tús and RSS supervisors.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.