Thomas P. Broughan
Question:290. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for the community employment scheme for 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39516/16]
View answerTuesday, 13 December 2016
Questions (290)
Written answers
My Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These include programmes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús.
As the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in their local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a range of social welfare payments, including those on a long-term jobseeker’s payment.
CE schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also very conscious of the valuable contribution the schemes are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.
With the ongoing welcome reductions in the Live Register, issues such as the appropriate level of expenditure, the number of places and the criteria for participation on employment schemes, including CE, are all being considered. I hope to be in a position to bring a Memorandum to Government on these matters in the coming weeks. If there are any changes to be made, consultations with stakeholders will be facilitated.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.