Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 3

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Brendan McGahon

Question:

134 Mr. McGahon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans for the further proposed mainstreaming of community employment schemes in the areas of health and environment which will further reduce the numbers employed on the programme nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28629/01]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney):

In line with a commitment in the PPF, and following consultations with relevant Government Departments and the social partners, certain services currently provided by participants on community employment, CE, are being mainstreamed. Mainstreaming involves the transfer of CE funding for specific services to other Departments with functional responsibility for these services. This process has already commenced in the case of CE services in schools.

A FÁS audit of services currently provided under CE has identified in the region of 1,500 to 1,700 places in the area of health and personal social services, which would be suitable for mainstreaming. The Department of Health and Children supports the mainstreaming of these services in view of its potential to create more permanent funding conditions for the delivery of such services in the future. The modalities involved are being actively examined between my Department, the Department of Health and Children and FÁS, and I am hopeful that this mainstreaming process can commence in April 2002.

The possibility of mainstreaming certain environmental services currently provided under CE is also currently being actively pursued by my Department at present. Some 1,400 CE places providing such services have previously been identified by FÁS for potential mainstreaming. Discussions on the possibility of mainstreaming such services have been initiated between my Department, the Department of the Environment and Local Government and FÁS. Subject to a satisfactory outcome of these discussions, I hope that the mainstreaming of these services can also commence as early as possible in 2002.

Question No. 135 answered with Question No. 105.