Vol. 469 No. 3
201 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will change the eligibility criteria for the community employment schemes, in particular, the need to be unemployed for one year in rural areas where the numbers of those eligible would be less than in large urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17386/96]
Community employment is designed primarily to prevent marginalisation among long-term unemployed people whose principal or only source of income is a social welfare payment. Its objective is to provide temporary work experience opportunities together with some training that would enhance the employment prospects of those at whom the programme is targeted.
The current eligibility criteria for CE only came into effect earlier this year following a detailed review of the scheme and in response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Long-Term Unemployment. Accordingly, I do not propose to widen the eligibility criteria to include additional categories such as those unemployed for less than one year.
