Recruitment for Gateway scheme to get under way in January – Daly

Fine Gael Cork South West Deputy, Jim Daly, has today (Wednesday) welcomed confirmation from the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD, that recruitment for the Gateway scheme, which is a Cork-based initiative to provide short-term work for the unemployed, will begin in January. Deputy Daly raised the matter in a Parliamentary Question to Minister Burton.

The West Cork TD initially proposed the scheme back in 2010 to the Department of Social Protection and has made it a political priority since his election to the Dáil.

“The Gateway scheme is an initiative of Cork City and County Councils aimed at helping unemployed people to access work on a short-term basis. The scheme aims to help bring the gap between long-term unemployment and getting back into the workforce full-time.

“I was keen to establish what progress is being made in recruiting people to take part in the scheme, and I am pleased to have received an update on the matter from Minister Bruton, who has said that Cork County Council has identified 110 placements throughout the county.

“The Department of Social Protection has randomly selected 140 jobseekers who have been unemployed for 24 months or more and Cork County Council will begin the recruitment process in early January.

“It’s very positive that this initiative is progressing well, and I will continue to liaise with the Department and the local Councils to ensure there are no delays to the recruitment process. Schemes such as this one are playing a very important role in helping the long-term unemployed back into the workforce.

“The number of people who have been on the Live Register for a long period is dropping, and I am confident that we can further reduce these figures in the year ahead through schemes like Gateway.”

ENDS