Community Employment Schemes Places

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 November 2014

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Questions (43)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

43. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 184 of 4 November 2014, the reason her Department has not yet responded directly to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 despite the fact that the person received an acknowledgement letter from her Department on 5 September 2014 promising a further response from her Department; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the person has not received any substantive reply to concerns raised regarding the discontinuation of their community employment placement from either their sponsor organisation or her Department; and her views on whether this is acceptable practice. [44216/14]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The person concerned was sent a letter of acknowledgment from this Department on the 5th September in which he was informed that the issues that he had raised were being addressed and that he would be advised of the outcome. The issues raised by the person concerned related to his employment, his employer in this case being the Community Employment (CE) Sponsor. This Department wrote to the Community Employment (CE) sponsor requesting that they examine the issues raised and respond directly to the person concerned in line with CE procedures. Subsequently the CE Sponsor advised the Department that a response had issued to the person concerned. Any remaining issues should be addressed by the person concerned directly to their former employer. The Department has no role in relation to the employment of staff participating on CE and therefore the appropriate course of action, in line with procedures, was to forward the person concerned’s correspondence to his employer for their attention.