Paul Bradford
Question:99 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will give the circumstances under which it is possible to allow participants in social employment schemes to remain on the scheme for a second year.
Written Answers. - Social Employment Schemes.
The Social Employment Scheme and the Community Employment Development Programme provide for participation of long term unemployed persons for one year. The objective is to give opportunities for participation to as many people as possible within the resources available. As such, extending one person's period of participation is at the expense of another unemployed person awaiting an opportunity to participate in the scheme-programme. Accordingly participant extensions are only granted by FÁS under very limited circumstances which I have determined as follows:
—Where a project would have to stop because a replacement could not be found for a "key" person.
—Where completion of a project has been delayed for a short time for reasons outside the control of the sponsor e.g. disruption due to bad weather.
—Where a suitable replacement cannot be found for a participant despite the best efforts of sponsors and FÁS.