Community Employment Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2012

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Questions (291)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

321 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection further to her commitment to community employment schemes that in the event that the changes in the training and material grant announced in the budget create financial difficulties for schemes, that her Department will continue to provide funding for those schemes until the completion of the financial review and that the internal guidance to officials is that up to €1,000 may be available to a scheme in respect of the training and materials grant for this year, subject to demonstration of need; the additional funding she has put in place to enable officials award up to €1,000. [9162/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton)

As indicated, my Department will continue to provide funding for all Community Employment schemes while the financial review is underway. This review will be completed at the end of March 2012.

Department officials are meeting with projects on an individual basis and making the necessary arrangements in relation to short term funding issues. This funding is being met from within the Department's allocation. As this process is on-going and the funding requirement varies from project to project, the full details of the funding arrangements for each project will not be available until the review process is completed.