I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 100 together.
In line with a commitment in the PPF and following consultations with relevant Departments and the social partners, certain services currently provided by participants on community employment are being mainstreamed. This process has already commenced in the case of CE services in schools and active discussions are under way between officials of my Department, the Department of Health and Children, the health boards and FÁS with a view to the mainstreaming of CE health services. The mainstreaming of such services will involve the phased transfer of current CE funding for these services to the Department of Health and Children.
It is intended that the level of funding to transfer to the Department of Health and Children will be based on the number of current participants and supervisors working in dedicated health projects, which will be identified based on criteria drawn up by the health boards as suitable for mainstreaming in this current phase. Every effort will be made to ensure continuity of services during the handover process.
Discussions to date regarding the mainstreaming of CE health services indicate that there are good prospects for supervisors currently employed by the sponsor organisations in the health sector to be retained by the sponsor organisation in a similar capacity following mainstreaming. However, it will be a matter for each organisation concerned to consider its particular needs and how best to deliver the service currently provided by CE under the new arrangements.
In the overall context of restructuring, CE supervisors will not be retained on the programme in cases where projects are discontinuing and there is no alternative employment available or acceptable to the supervisor. FÁS employment service will, however, make every effort to ensure that supervisors are made aware of other employment opportunities, including those arising in the social economy, as this programme is rolled out, or in other CE schemes. FÁS employment service will initiate contact with supervisors who may become redundant and provide the full range of employment supports, including job placement or further training if required. In addition, FÁS will ensure that redundant supervisors, with their consent, are placed on the regional database of community employment supervisors for future prospective employers.