Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020
41. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if approval will be given to extend the duration of the community employment scheme without requiring additional qualifying criteria such as major awards or requalifying criteria until the end of 2022 in recognition of the challenges presented to many on these schemes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40150/20]
View answerThe Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. In general, the period of participation on CE is for one year. However, CE participants who are working towards a major award or industry qualification can seek to extend participation by up to a further two years. A significant number of CE participants each year avail of an extension in order to continue training and obtain qualifications or major awards. The training attached to CE is recognised as a progression route for CE participants bringing them closer to the labour market. The Department has no current plan to remove the training requirement as part of the qualifying criteria for CE or to remove any existing criterion. During the first phase of the Covid-19 emergency earlier this year, when the most restrictive measures were in place, the Department continued to provide the necessary funding for CE schemes. Other contingency measures were also introduced, including the extension of those CE participant contracts that were due to come to an end during the lockdown period. Following the Government's introduction of Level-5 restrictions in October, the Department reintroduced these contingency arrangements and continued to provide funding for CE schemes. Department officials have been liaising with CE schemes to arrange for those participants who were due to finish during the period Level-5 restrictions are in place, to have their contracts extended until restrictions ease, unless a participant is taking up employment or reaches the State Pension age. The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. Places on these work programmes will continue to be made available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme. There are no plans to amend the qualification criteria or rules of the CE Scheme at the present time. I am fully committed to the future of CE and will continue to support and improve CE for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities. The additional 3,000 places provided for under the July Jobs Stimulus for employment support schemes including CE will also provide opportunities for existing CE schemes to expand participant numbers and to strengthen the supports they provide to local communities while expanding developmental opportunities for the long term unemployed. I hope that theses additional places will also assist schemes to deal with the challenges arising from COVID and the resultant public health restrictions.
