Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

430. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plan to address the significant difference in earnings between those involved in the JI participation scheme and their section 39 community worker colleagues, who carry out the same duties, due to the latter’s higher starting rate of pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36000/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, Job Initiative (JI) is an employment support scheme which was designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities.

The Department provides wage grant funding 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. Recruitment to the JI scheme closed in November 2004, with participants who were on the scheme at that time having a right to remain on the scheme until they reach the State pension age of 66.

Participants on JI are employed full time by JI managing agents for 39 hours per week. Budget 2024 increased the JI weekly participant rate from €495 to €519 from January 2024. 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. JI participants can avail of other benefits afforded to Social Welfare recipients, such as the retention of their medical card and payment of the annual Christmas Bonus. In this context, JI participants received the annual Christmas Bonus in December 2023 and a Cost-of-Living double week payment in January 2024.

While some participants on JI are employed in organisations that also have a contract with the HSE under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004, their JI employment is not subject to regulation under this section. Service agreements under Section 39 are in place between the HSE and all service providers, which clearly set out the obligations of the organisation, the services for which they are engaged by the HSE, and the funding that has been agreed. Any JI participant employed by the organisations are on a separate contract and subject to the wage grant funding arrangements as set out above.

JI currently caters for around 308 participants who work in 37 JI schemes.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.