Scheme to give 5,000 people opportunities of placements

FIVE thousand long-term unemployed people are to benefit from short-term work opportunities in the community sector under a new scheme announced by the Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó Cuív yesterday.

The Tús programme will enable people unemployed for more than 12 months to be placed with community sector organisations to help with the delivery of their services from next March.

Mr Ó Cuív said the Government was committing €30 million to the new initiative in 2011 with the funding for Tús rising to €100m in the following year.

Participants, who will be given 12-month placements with a working week of 19½ hours, will be paid the full jobseekers rate plus an additional €20 per week.

Under the scheme, those aged under 25 will also be entitled to the maximum jobseekers allowance — a measure which Mr Ó Cuív predicted would make Tús attractive for young, unemployed adults.

It means a single adult with no dependents will receive a total of €208 per week.

The programme, while overseen by the Department of Social Protection will be managed by 52 local development companies around the country and Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht regions.

The department’s local office will contact people who satisfy the eligibility criteria over coming weeks, although not everyone will be contacted due to a limited number of places in various locations.

Community and voluntary organisations will be able the register their interest and offer placements via the relevant local development company.

The minister said the programme would allow all sectors of society to play a role by supporting people who are unemployed while helping with the recovery of national prosperity.

“We need to be innovative in how we can provide working opportunities for those who have lost employment over the past few years and how we can support service delivery in the private, public and voluntary sectors which are under pressure because of the downturn in economic activity,” said Mr Ó Cuív.

He claimed Tús would also improve their psychological and general wellbeing as a result of being involved in wider societal and community activity.

Mr Ó Cuív said the scheme would provide the voluntary and not-for- profit sector with much-needed support.

He said the programme would also contribute to the management of the Live Register and act as a disincentive to those not eligible for welfare benefits.

More than 65,000 unemployed people participate in other Government-sponsored work placement schemes.