I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 51 together.
It is not FÁS practice to provide participants for community employment projects in schools or elsewhere based on a child care course being provided. FÁS requires sponsors to provide on-the-job training for all project participants and funding is made available for such training. This training may relate to the job which the CE participant is filling or to assist them to pursue a career opportunity.
Schools have not been excluded from the CE programme. An audit of projects was undertaken in November 1999 to find out the number of CE workers employed in schools as secretaries, caretakers and classroom assistants. The result of this audit shows that there were 5,804 persons participating in CE projects in schools at that time. My Department and the Department of Education and Science have entered into discussions on this issue.
Within the context of the overall number of places on CE, FÁS has operational responsibility for project selection and appraisal. It is FÁS policy that projects providing quality work experience for participants and worthwhile services to community groups will get priority, particularly where they lead to good progression to further education-training or employment. The type of experience gained by participants in schools projects does not, in general, lead to good progression opportunities.