Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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459. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if participants on the jobs initiative scheme are included in the 2023 wage increase for community workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8131/23]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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489. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review wages paid to participants in the jobs initiative scheme. [8823/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 and 489 together.

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.

The Department funds wages for JI team leaders and JI participants along with a grant contribution towards the running costs of the scheme in respect of administration, materials, overheads, training and development. Participants on JI are employed full time for 39 hours per week. The Department is not the employer of JI team leaders or of participants.

The current rate for JI participants is €495 per week. The JI rate benefits from any budgetary increase in the relevant social welfare payments along with any increase in the top up payment for participants on employment support schemes. The 2023 budget increases, effective from January increased the JI weekly rate from €461 to €495, when the increase in weekly social welfare payment rates and the increase in the top up payment are taken into account.

In addition, JI participants also receive social welfare benefits such as the annual Christmas Bonus and also received the Autumn Cost of Living double week payment in October 2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.