Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
332. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reconsider a decision (details supplied) in relation to the provision of community employment participants engaged in a scheme in County Louth given the ethos and nature of the organisation in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38207/22]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which provides eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in work with organisations in the community and voluntary, not-for-profit sector within their communities on a temporary fixed-term basis.
The work undertaken by participants of the programme supports local service provision by community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, provided that this does not displace existing service provision or employment in the open-labour market. Work placements in the private sector are not permitted.
The department’s employment support programmes are subject to ongoing monitoring by officials to ensure that they are compliant with the department’s operational requirements for grant funding and that they are achieving the best outcomes for participants and for the local communities in which they operate. Following a review of CE placements in county Louth by my department in May this year, it was found that placements by the CE sponsoring organisation concerned, with the specified football club, do not qualify for CE grant funding as the club is a private limited company. The CE sponsor organisation and the club concerned were informed of the decision to discontinue the approval of these placements on 17th June 2022.
In order to facilitate an orderly transfer of the three CE participants who currently work at the club, to work with another organisation which is appropriate to CE, my department has allowed the continuation of the placements until Friday 26th August 2022. This will provide time for the owner of the club to consider and potentially avail of other more appropriate supports provided by my department for employers. These include the services of an employer engagement officer who will assist with the recruitment of people currently in receipt of social welfare income support payments, the JobsPlus grant, the Work Placement Experience Programme, the Wage Subsidy Scheme and the EmployAbility Service for people with disabilities. Information on services provided by my department for employers was sent to the owner of the club on 17th June this year. The department can confirm that the CE participants involved will be facilitated with other work on the CE programme.
I will continue to support and improve each of my department’s employment support programmes for the benefit of their participants and the valuable contribution they make to local communities through the provision of services while ensuring that places are appropriate and continue to be made available to those who are long term unemployed.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
