Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 January 2026
411. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has plans to expand funding to the CE, RSS and Tús schemes given the rising rates of youth unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68469/25]
View answerMy Department offers a range of employment schemes and other supports to encourage long-term unemployed people to return to work, while also assisting communities across the country in the provision of vital services. They are targeted at people who have been on an unemployment payment or certain other social welfare payments for a specific period of time.
My Department is committed to supporting and improving the capacity of young people to take up employment, education and training opportunities that can enhance their employment prospects over time, as well as their ability to earn an adequate income to support themselves and their families into the future. My Department’s Intreo Employment Service provides nationwide support to jobseekers through a structured and mandatory engagement process that offers tailored, individualised employment support. Jobseekers deemed most distant from the labour market and those aged under 30 years of age are engaged with more immediately and more frequently.
Under the Reinforced Youth Guarantee (RYG), EU Member States pledge to provide a good quality offer of employment, education, or training to those under the age of 30 within 4 months of becoming unemployed.
The Department’s Pathways to Work 2021-2025 provided a number of commitments to support young people in finding and maintaining employment in support of Ireland’s RYG responsibilities. The successor strategy, is currently being drafted and will be published later this year.
Community Employment (CE) and Tús are employment activation measures designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.
There are currently 19,659 participants on CE, 2,598 participants on the RSS and 4,605 participants on Tús. Government investment in the employment schemes in 2026 will estimated at €574 million.
The OECD in a recently published review of the CE and Tús schemes found a positive impact on the employment and earnings of participants, especially for older participants on CE and younger participants on Tús. The review also found that participants are less likely to rely on disability payments and are more likely to find employment after their participation.
A number of recent changes made to the Tús scheme support younger people in their efforts to integrate into the workforce, as follows:
• Disability Allowance customers aged 18 or over and who are fully unemployed may have immediate access to Tús on a self-referral basis.
• A pilot commenced in November 2024 whereby jobseekers, aged 18-years with a low probability of finding employment may have immediate access to Tús on a self-referral basis.
• Traveller/Roma Jobseeker Allowance customers aged 18 years or older, who are fully unemployed may have immediate access to Tús on a self-referral basis.
Overall, I recognise that these employment, activation and income support programmes enable participants to make a significant contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment, as appropriate. I wish to re-iterate that my Department keeps all aspects of these programmes under ongoing review to ensure they continue to deliver the best outcomes for participants and communities.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
