Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Nov 1997

Vol. 483 No. 3

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

John Perry

Question:

87 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the percentage of re-engagement of participants on community employment schemes in the north west region is being decreased from 25 per cent to 10 per cent in 1998; her views on whether 50 per cent or 60 per cent should apply in rural areas in view of the fact that it is extremely difficult to find new persons for the schemes and the people who come off the scheme usually have to go back on unemployment benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20089/97]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Miss Harney)

Community employment was restructured in 1996 following a detailed review of the programme and in response to recommendations contained in the report of the task force on long-term unemployment. Under the new structure approximately two-thirds of the available 40,000 places are allocated to the part-time integration option — open to persons over 21 years of age and over one year unemployed — while the remaining one-third of places are allocated to the part-time job option, open to persons over 35 years and over three years unemployed.

Under the part-time integration option up to 10 per cent of the participants may be re-engaged for further periods with the agreement of FÁS where they are key participants and no other suitable eligible person is available or where the participant would benefit from an additional period on the programme. Under the part-time job option participants usually have their contract renewed for up to three years.

FÁS has operational responsibility for community employment and I believe it seeks to operate it on as fair a basis as possible throughout its regions, having due regard, as best it can, to local circumstances and demands and also to the programme's parameters. In particular, it has to be understood that retaining people on the programme for longer than they are entitled can only be at the expense of other unemployed people who are waiting for a place. In the circumstances I do not propose to alter the parameters of the programme at this time or to intervene in FÁS's operation of the programme.