Vol. 500 No. 4
35 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the concerns regarding proposals to raise the age of entry to community employment schemes from 21 to 25 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4275/99]
38 Mr. McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if discussions have commenced with the social partners regarding the changes proposed in the Deloitte Touche report on the community employment schemes; and when she will announce any changes to these schemes. [4164/99]
46 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will extend the time a person can spend in a community employment scheme from three years, particularly in the area of school caretakers and secretaries. [4173/99]
55 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason it is proposed to cut the number of places on community employment schemes by 2,500 in 1999 having regard to the commitment contained in Partnership 2000 to provide 10,000 training places for the long-term unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4139/99]
65 Mr. Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will extend the time a person can spend in a community employment scheme from three years, particularly in the area of school caretakers and secretaries. [4174/99]
68 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the commitment in Partnership 2000 to increase the number of places on community employment schemes and the subsequent budget provision which will result in a drop in numbers employed on community employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4157/99]
107 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if discussions have commenced with the social partners regarding the changes proposed in the Deloitte and Touche report on the community employment schemes; and when she will announce any changes to these schemes. [4184/99]
113 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will extend the time a person can spend in a community employment scheme from three years, particularly in the area of school caretakers and secretaries. [4191/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos 35, 38, 46, 55, 65, 68, 107, and 113 together.
Following publication in September 1998 of the Deloitte & Touche review of community employment officials of my Department have discussed the recommendations on a number of occasions with the social partners, primarily in the context of Partnership 2000. I will shortly put my proposals for reform of the programme before the social partner pillars, prior to bringing these to Government.
Since Partnership 2000 was agreed there has been an overall increase in labour market reintegration places for unemployed persons of at least 18,000, including DET and E programmes, back to work allowance and back to education allowance, with over 10,000 of these explicitly reserved for the long-term unemployed and socially excluded.
There is no contradiction between reducing the number of places on community employment and fulfilling the terms of Paragraph 4.24 of P2000 to provide an additional 10,000 labour market interaction places over the lifetime of the programme. The Government's aim in enhancing the range of active labour market places has been to focus on programmes with the best employability outcomes and to target places at specific disadvantaged cohorts in the labour market, such as very long-term unemployed and lone parents.
The revised estimate for my Department this year provides for 10,275 new places on active labour market initiatives, including 875 new job initiative places, 1,500 bridging programme places to enable long-term unemployed to enter mainstream training and 5,200 job club places. In 1999 my Department will also provide for an average of 37,700 places on CE.
The community employment programme is a labour market integration programme. In today's dynamic labour market, it does not make sense generally speaking that a participant should be on community employment for longer than three years. Instead the focus is on helping participants progress to an open labour market job if they are job ready or to mainstream training which will help them become job ready. FÁS is providing increased levels of support and advice on progression to all participants.
