Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
482. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department are extending the time for participants whose term has expired by only 12 weeks, that this is contrary to the announcement on the reforms announced earlier in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24131/22]
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.
During the COVID pandemic the Minister for Social Protection and I extended CE participants contracts on a number of occasions. These contract extensions, which were in place from October 2020, supported CE schemes at various stages of the pandemic so that they could maintain important community services while also ensuring that participants had sufficient time to fully avail of the work experience and training opportunities affected by public health restrictions.
CE participants with extended contracts started to leave schemes on a coordinated and phased basis from 8 April 2022 and this will run up until January 2023. This will ensure continuity of service delivery and also support a phased recruitment of new participants.
In light of the ongoing COVID related challenges faced by CE schemes Minister Humphreys and I announced a number of reforms to CE in December 2021.
As part of these reforms and to assist with the transition from COVID emergency supports, participants including those with extended contracts, may not be required to leave CE, where a suitable replacement has not yet been referred to the scheme. This is a transitionary provision for supporting schemes to retain services, with the higher-than-normal turnover of participants in 2022.
Extensions under this provision must be approved by officials from the Department and consideration will be given to the impact of COVID on the recruitment of participants, the type of service provided by the placement along with recruitment and referral efforts.
For operational reasons participants availing of this provision had their contracts extended by a period of 12 weeks. If a scheme now requires a further extension of these participants they should submit a request to their local officer for consideration.
Officials from this Department will continue to work with and support all CE schemes throughout the transitionary period as the extended contracts come to an end and to ensure CE services continue to be supported.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
