Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
143 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if payments have been made under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2003 to participants in the community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30780/04]
View answer144 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if redundancy or ex gratia payments in lieu of redundancy have been made to participants in the community employment schemes on leaving these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30781/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.
The primary objective of community employment, CE, is to give long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged persons an opportunity to acquire training and work experience with a view to progressing to jobs in the open labour market. In addition, CE acts as a pathway for participants to further education and training opportunities.
The project sponsor employs the CE participant with the assistance of a grant from FÁS for this purpose. As participants pay class A rate PRSI, an entitlement to statutory redundancy exists if they have been engaged by the same employer for 104 weeks or more and their contract is terminated because of redundancy arising from the withdrawal of a CE place. Community employment participants who complete their contracts are not entitled to redundancy where they are replaced on the scheme. Where redundancy occurs the responsibility for payment of redundancy resides with the project sponsor. I am advised by FÁS that it is not aware of any ex gratia payments being made to participants on leaving schemes.
