Time extension for Tús employment scheme being considered following request from Kildare TD

Time extensions for Tús Schemes are to be considered, following a meeting with the Minister for Social Protection, according to Local Fianna Fail TD, Frank O’Rourke. "The Tús initiative is a community work placement scheme providing short-term quality work opportunities for unemployed people. The work opportunities are to benefit the community and are provided by community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas. In effect, it is an activation initiative for those who are unemployed while at the same time carrying out beneficial work within communities," said Deputy O'Rourke. "A number of organisations have contacted me in recent times from the North Kildare area highlighting a weakness associated with the Tús scheme.  At the moment, participants in the scheme will work for 19 ½ hours a week and the placement lasts 12 months only. Once the 12 months are up, the organisation and the participant go their separate ways," he continued. "However, in two situations in the recent past, a case had been made to me proposing that the scheme should allow the option of extending the time period from 12 months to 18 months, if all parties agree." "In some cases, the project that was allocated for the Tús scheme may overrun, and it could suit all parties to extend the time period by upto 6 months, particularly in the case where a participant is gaining valuable experience. I appreciate that you have to have a stop date for the scheme, but having an option to extend the scheme, seems to me to be a reasonable proposal." "Following a meeting that I had with the Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar TD, I am delighted that he is now going to consider our proposal to enable an extension to the scheme," concluded Deputy O’Rourke.