Eleven community organisations in the Drogheda area have between them been allocated 79 new positions in Community Employment (CE) and Tús schemes in an announcement today by Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys and Minister of State, Joe O’Brien.
Among the organisations to benefit from today’s announcement (number of jobs in brackets) are:
- Central Community Employment Scheme Company Ltd (6)
- Drogheda Community Services Trust (5)
- Drogheda Football Group Scheme (10)
- Drogheda Women’s Refuge Scheme (3)
- Dunleer Community Employment Company (13)
- Mount Oliver & District Community Employment Scheme Company (2)
- Simon Womens Aid Project (15)
- The Red Door Project (11)
- Duleek Development Association Ltd (6)
- East Meath Community Development Company (2)
Making the announcement today, Minister Humphreys said:
“‘Pathways to Work’ is all about giving people the tools and opportunities they need to secure employment. Our Community Employment and Tús schemes are central to that strategy – providing a vast range of work experience, skills development and mentoring for people who are long-term unemployed.
“At present, there are over 19,000 people participating in CE schemes and over 4,000 on Tús schemes. In 2020, the Department of Social Protection invested €425 million in these schemes – demonstrating their importance to communities right across the country.
“So many of our towns and villages have been negatively impacted by Covid-19. But as we emerge from this Pandemic, we are determined to support our citizens who find themselves out of work in every way possible.
“Along with Minister O’Brien, I am really pleased to provide these additional 2,639 places, which I know will be of huge benefit to so many people and their communities.
Minister O’Brien said: “From the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020 and the subsequent restrictions, the Department of Social Protection continued to support CE and Tús schemes while also introducing other contingency measures, to safeguard existing placements and services provided by CE and Tús schemes, including the extension of CE participant contracts.
“This Government is committed to supporting the CE sponsoring authorities in the valuable services that they deliver across communities through these particularly challenging times and today’s announcement of the additional placements is a further testament to that.
“My Department will now work closely with these schemes to ensure that these new placements, which provide opportunities for the long term unemployed, are filled as soon as possible and that CE and Tús schemes use this expanded capacity to the benefit of communities to which they provide vital local services.”
