Vol. 511 No. 6
68 Ms Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the qualification requirement for community employment; the measures, if any, she has put in place to ensure that the criteria for recruiting community employment workers will be applied evenly and without misinterpretation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25041/99]
98 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the instructions and guidelines, if any, given to FÁS to operate the community employment schemes following the changes announced in July 1999; if she has satisfied herself that all FÁS offices are operating the schemes uniformly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25046/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 98 together.
The Government approved a restructuring of the community employment programme on 21 July 1999, after which my Department issued the following implementation guidelines to FÁS for the uniform operation of the programme nationwide: the eligibility age for participation in CE will be raised from 21 years to 25 years with effect from 29 October 1999. The following exemptions will apply for persons under 25 years of age: travellers; ex-offenders; refugees; people with disabilities; people referred under drugs task force; offshore island inhabitants; and 18-24 year olds, referred through EAP, who are 18 months or more unemployed.
Duration of participant breaks between schemes will be increased from six to 12 months with effect from April 2000. Offshore island residents will be exempt from this change. Future participation in CE by an individual will be capped at three years with effect from 29 October 1999. An individual's previous participation on the programme will not be taken into account. Offshore island residents will be exempt from this change. The number of places on CE will be reduced over a five year period to 28,000. There will be synchronisation to the greatest degree possible between the introduction of the new social economy programme and reductions of CE places. Eligibility to participate in CE has been extended to qualified adults and widows/widowers with effect from 15 September 1999.
With reference to the first, second and third points above, FÁS has indicated to my Department that it may need to be more flexible in certain cases with the implementation date as commitments had already been entered into prior to the date of application of the Government decision.
