Major reforms to CE, Tús and Rural Social Scheme - Dillon

THE Cabinet have signed off on a number of major reforms to Community Employment, Tús and the Rural Social Scheme.

Mayo Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon has welcomed the confirmation from party colleague, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys, saying he has had several representations from various communities and participants who had serious concerns about the sustainability of all these schemes and their ability to continue to support local community groups. Without these schemes' support most would struggle to retain these facilities and services.

The purpose of CE and Tús is to provide long-term unemployed participants with work experience in their local communities to help them find employment.

Changes to CÉ, Tus and RSS include:

Removal of the six-year time limit for all participants on the Rural Social Scheme.

Eligibility for Tús extended to persons in receipt of disability payments.

New flexibility to allow CE schemes to directly recruit eligible candidates to fill 30% of places.

Intreo to significantly increase the number of referrals to CE with schemes required to offer places to at least 60% of candidates referred.

New pilot scheme to extend eligibility to qualified adults to be explored.

Continue to allow schemes to extend individual placements and retain existing participants in cases where no replacement candidate has been selected. This means that local services should not be impacted due to an inability to replace participants.

These measures are in addition to previous changes introduced by Minister Humphreys earlier this year which allow participants on CE and RSS who are aged over 60 to remain on schemes until retirement.

Said Deputy Dillon: “ I raised this issue at leader's questions last week with the Taoiseach, voicing concerns from many community organisations and participants of the Rural Social Scheme RSS who joined the scheme since 2017 calling for the removal of the six-year participation rule or vital rural workers within the scheme will be lost.

“This confirmation is very welcome news to all those communities and organisations who depend on these schemes to continue doing vital works in our local areas.

“These changes will support schemes by strengthening the recruitment process, allow schemes retain more participants beyond their standard contract time limits, as well as removing the six-year time limit for the final group of RSS participants to whom it still applied.”

Castlebar Councillor Cyril Burke also welcomed the changes, saying they were welcome news for communities and scheme participants.