Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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564. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the availability and take-up of the extra 3,000 places for employment support schemes, including community employment and Tús places, as part of the July stimulus package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26434/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As part of the July Jobs Stimulus Package, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on Employment Support Schemes, including Community Employment (CE) and Tús. The package was part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, building on the extensive business and employment supports already in place.  

Tús is a community work placement initiative.  The scheme provides short-term work opportunities and is aimed at people who have been unemployed for more than one year. The purpose of Tús is to facilitate the participants return to the labour market and the supports provided by Tús are designed to facilitate this return to the labour market.  

The Community Employment scheme is designed to help people who are long-term unemployed, or otherwise disadvantaged, to get back to work by offering part-time community work placements and training opportunities.  Training for CE participants is provided within a Quality Assurance framework. 

The Department has been working closely with stakeholders, including CE Sponsoring Authorities and Local Development Companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta who deliver Tús, to identify opportunities for the additional 3,000 placements.  The Department completed an initial call for expressions of interest with the existing scheme sponsors and the feedback was very positive.  The Department will continue to work closely with the stakeholders to deliver on the Government commitments in the July stimulus package.

The additional places will provide valuable opportunities for long term unemployed persons and will support Community Employment and Tús schemes in providing services to local communities, both rural and urban.