Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 1997

Vol. 475 No. 1

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Willie O'Dea

Question:

251 Mr. O'Dea asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties encountered as a result of the fact that the long-term unemployment scheme applies only to people who have reached the age of 35 and over; the plans, if any, he has to reduce the age limit in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4192/97]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I take it the Deputy is referring either to the part-time job option under community employment or to the whole time job programme, Job Initiative.

Both of these programmes are targeted at the older long time unemployed person who is particularly disadvantaged and is considered to have little prospect of obtaining a mainstream job. As such the programmes are confined to those over 35 years of age.

Approximately 25 per cent of community employment places are retained for the part-time job option while the job initiative is a pilot programme comprising full-time work for 1,000 persons and is confined to specific pockets of high unemployment in the cities of Cork, Limerick and Dublin.

Given that the eligibility criteria for community employment only came into effect last year follows a detailed review of the programme and in response to the recommendations of the Task Force on Long-Term Unemployed and taking into account that the Job Initiative is a pilot programme, I have no plans to review the eligibility criteria for either of these programmes at present. However, I do of course keep all programmes under constant review in so far as their objective-effectiveness is concerned.