I am pleased to see the Leas-Cheann Comhairle back in the House so soon. In the past two years, the number of places available on community employment schemes has been reduced by 3,800 to approximately 20,000. The Government will save €135 million by making these reductions. However, no programme has been put in place to secure the future of the services provided by the schemes that have been cut. Consequently, a large number of organisations have been forced to reduce or in many cases terminate services. While a new programme may be introduced in rural areas, in urban areas there has been no indication as to what will happen or what the transition will be like.
The cutbacks in community employment schemes have affected the relatively well-off areas of Lucan, Palmerstown, Saggart, Rathcoole, Brittas and Newcastle, but the worst affected is Clondalkin. Although north Clondalkin is in a RAPID programme area and has well-organised community bases, the chipping away of community employment and jobs initiative schemes is taking its toll. South-west Clondalkin, however, does not have this comfort blanket. There is huge deprivation in a number of areas, yet it was not chosen as a RAPID programme area because it has a high number of private homes. However, in many of these homes the owners are struggling to make a living, while many more are occupied by tenants on rent allowance. The local community employment scheme was a saviour to this area. While these schemes were not set up to provide an alternative social economy or much needed social services, that is what they have ended up doing. In removing them, the Government has ripped the stitch that kept the community lining together and it is now in danger of collapse.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Harney, officially opened the Bawnogue enterprise centre, which operates on a semi-commercial basis promoting local businesses. However, its remit prevents it in assisting a community struggling against years of neglect, criminal elements, the drugs trade and a breakdown in the sense of community. The enterprise centre charges commercial rates for various meetings while the rooms are not the right size for various groupings. The Bawnogue youth and community centre was one of the three community projects supported by the local community employment scheme. There was also the youth and family support group and the DBD advice and information centre, all of which are now facing closure.
The Bawnogue community centre provides a centre to the community in more ways than one. For example, the local children use its tuck shop because they feel safer there than the local shops where drug pushers and addicts hang around. Yet, it is now facing closure. The community groups operating there have seen their staff numbers dwindle to a bare minimum following the cutbacks in the community employment scheme. Though, it is proposed to move some council and other State-supported bodies into the building, the original community services provided are falling apart. These are the services in which people have a sense of pride and self-esteem because they have been built from scratch.
I urge the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to make representations to save the DBD advice and information centre. It is a long way to Clondalkin village for the many people who have come to depend on its services. I also urge him to ensure that the temporary staff loaned from north Clondalkin to the Bawnogue community centre are retained. If the State discontinues funding it will cost it more in the long-term in terms of trying to root out crime, solve the drugs problem and deal with social alienation.
I say this from an economic viewpoint because that is the only argument the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, understands. If the Government wants to keep taxes low and break down the barriers in society, it can only do so by helping to foster thriving communities where people can depend on one another and work together. The community employment schemes have employed people aged over 50 years who were on disability and invalidity allowances, yet but for the valuable work they do on behalf of their communities, they would be only considered for the scrapheap in terms of trying to secure gainful employment. If the new replacement for the schemes is to be introduced, there should be a transition phase run by FÁS so that the existing groups can continue their work. If not, their abolition will cost the State more in the long run and lead to the death of some communities.