Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 October 2021
167. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if a community employment scheme placement can be extended for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51582/21]
View answerMy Department provides a range of employment support schemes, including Community Employment (CE) which are specifically targeted at those people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more.
The aim of CE is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing valuable work experience and training opportunities in jobs based within local communities.
Together with Minister Humphreys, I recently announced further funding to allow for the extension of all contracts for existing CE and Tús participants until 4th February 2022, in recognition of the public health siutuation, which may have adversely affected some programmes. These final contract extensions will provide existing CE participants with additional time to complete training and benefit from ongoing work experience.
The person concerned commenced on the relevant CE scheme on 8 January 2018 and completed three years on CE on 31 December 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the person concerned received an extension to November 2021, which has now been further extended to at least 4 February 2022. (It is intended to provide for phased exits from the extended schemes from this date onwards.)
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
