Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
176. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the recruitment shortfall in a service (details supplied); and the steps she plans to take to address this matter. [4736/21]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) 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.
Throughout the onset of the COVID-19 emergency in March 2020, the subsequent level 5 restrictions introduced in October 2020 and more recently, the return to level 5 restrictions announced by Government in December 2020, my Department has continued to provide the necessary funding for CE schemes while introducing other contingency measures, to support CE schemes and participants, including the extension of CE participant contracts.
Support Meals on Wheels Limited project provides a meals on wheels service in the Finglas area as well as assisting in the progression of participants into employment. The CE roles in this scheme are all for catering assistants. This scheme has not notified the Department of their vacancies via their weekly vacancy listings and now that it has been brought to our attention local CE Management will work with the scheme on making promotional videos as well as other methods that could be employed by the scheme to raise their profile in the community thus attracting interest in vacancies. It is expected that the number of referrals will increase as part of the recommencement of activation services once the Government has announced the return to normal business activity and a reduction in the current level 5 restrictions.
My Department is committed to supporting the CE sponsoring authorities in the valuable services that they deliver across communities through these particularly challenging times.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
