Community Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006

Tuesday, 4 July 2006

Questions (482)

Paul Connaughton

Question:

495 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide more staff to a company (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason this company had three employees and a project manager in May 2002 under the social economy project administered through FÁS but now that responsibility has been transferred to his Department the project has one manager and one employee; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this level of staff will make it impossible to carry out the programme of work in Mountbellew and the wider community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26263/06]

Written answers

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív)

When the funding for the Social Economy Programme (now renamed the Community Services Programme) transferred to my Department on 1st January 2006, the amount of funding which transferred matched the existing staffing and liabilities within the Programme.

My Department has made no reduction in the number of positions, nor in the budgets of projects funded since taking responsibility for the Programme.

My Department has become aware of a number of projects, which, for varying reasons, carried over vacancies from 2005 into 2006. My Department are in discussions with FÁS to clarify the situation in regard to these vacancies, with a view to ensuring that projects agreed staffing numbers for 2005 are honoured.

In the case of Galway Tele-working Co-operative Ltd. (GTCO), my Department is satisfied that the agreed staffing of the Project for 2005 was for 1 Manager and 2 full-time equivalent staff. My Department is ensuring that the Project is funded on that basis.