Local Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy, has welcomed the announcement of further measures to support participants of Community Employment (CE ) and Tús schemes.
Under the measures, CE and Tús participants’ contracts will be further extended until the end of October 2021.
This will benefit 7,000 participants who have been granted contract extensions since last October and whose contracts were due to end in July, and more than 4,000 additional CE/Tús participants whose contracts would ordinarily come to an end between July and October.
“The supports being put in place will ensure the schemes can fully recommence service delivery in local communities, while also supporting participants who have been long-term unemployed,” Minister Troy said.
“Many participants’ time on the schemes has been adversely affected by public health restrictions and this latest extension will allow participants further opportunities to complete their training and work placement experience.
“Importantly, this final extension will also allow CE and Tús schemes to conclude participants’ placements on a co-ordinated and phased basis.
“This will also facilitate the planned increase in the rate of referrals to fill existing and new vacancies to ensure that opportunities to participate on the schemes continue to be available to those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market.
“From the end of October there will be a phased exit of those CE and Tús participants who have benefitted from this latest extension over a number of months up until February 2022.
“To assist with this transitional arrangement, there will also be a short contract extension for those CE and Tús participants whose contracts would be normally due to end between November 2021 and February 2022.
“Work carried out by CE and Tús participants continues to be of huge importance to communities the length and breadth of the country.
“I am very conscious of the difficulties that a number of schemes have encountered during Covid-19.
“That’s why Government are providing this additional certainty to the thousands of participants over the coming months.
“It is also important that we maintain the path of progression through Employment Support Schemes.
“That’s why supporting participants to move into regular employment or education will continue to be a core objective of the programmes.”
