COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

MOTION NO. 4

MOTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

"That this Committee welcomes the Gateway Initiative as providing opportunities for unemployed people who want to gain genuine work experience with good employers. The Committee notes Gateway workers will receive not less than €208 per week in wages, and will receive the same statutory annual leave and public holiday entitlements as other Council employees. The Committee notes that the Council will be funded to recruit 215 Gateway employees, and that, in agreement with the Trades Unions involved, will be working as general operatives in Public Realm areas, on Village Enhancement Schemes, landscaping, tourism and sports promotion, libraries and business research. This Committee requests the Manager to allocate a fair proportion of the 215 Gateway employees to work in the Lucan and Palmerston areas, and would welcome a statement from the Manager at this meeting indicating to members what projects, schemes, in the EA he is considering supporting with Gateway employees."

REPORT:

The Action Plan for Jobs sets out the Government's enhanced labour market activation strategy to maximise the number of supports and placements for people are currently unemployed, particularly the long term unemployed.  The Minister for Social Protection has confirmed that the strategy includes 2,500 JobBridge places, 2,500 places on the Tús scheme, an additional 2,000 community employment scheme places and 3,000 places in in the Gateway initiative. These schemes are a valuable route for participants to gain or update experience of the workplace, to learn new skills and to return to the routine of work. The scheme will assist the personal and social development of participants by providing short term work opportunities with the objective of bridging the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce.  

South Dublin County Council's allocation under this scheme is 215 places. Participants must have been in receipt of jobseekers allowance for a minimum of 24 months. They will be provided with a Fixed Term Contract (22 Months maximum duration and not renewable) and working hours will be either 19.5 hours per week or 39 hours per fortnight. They will receive a payment equivalent to their rate of Jobseekers Allowance plus €20.00 per week, with a minimum payment of €208.00 per week. The Council aims to match the participant's skill level with available opportunities within the organisation.

Areas of Work for participants include, but are not limited to, the following:

·         Environmental services – maintenance and development of industrial estates and public open spaces which will include general cleaning, litter picking, weeding, graffiti removal

·         Derelict site clean ups

·         Village Enhancement Schemes – remediation and restoration works

·         Landscaping

·         Estate improvements

The Council recently received details for the first batch of nominees from the Department of Social Protection. These nominees have attended an information session, each nominee has been interviewed, and details of those deemed suitable for the placement are now at the Garda Vetting procedure stage. On commencement, induction training and Health and Safety training will be completed before the participants are assigned any work. This process is underway and it is anticipated that the first participants will take up duty in the coming weeks. Recruitment will continue thereafter on a rolling basis until the target employment number of 215 has been achieved.