Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
303. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an obligation on a participant of a CE scheme to continue to engage with Turas Nua whilst being on the scheme if they are working 19 hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20068/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the 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 to improve their prospect of returning to employment. Participation on CE is for 19.5 hours per week.
The Intreo Partners service, comprising the National Employment Service (NES) and the Local Area Employment Service (LAES) is an approach to employment activation which caters mainly for people who are long-term unemployed to assist them to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment. In the case of the person concerned the Intreo Partners National Employment Service is provided by Turas Nua Limited.
A person attending NES is permitted to undertake a placement on CE providing they satisfy the eligibility criteria for CE and maintain their engagement with the NES provider. This enables people engaged with the service to continue to receive the personalised employment counselling and job search support provided by personal advisors, while also availing of a CE placement which will provide valuable occupational activity, training and work experience.
The NES service will be adapted to cater for those who opt to take up CE and all meetings and activities will be scheduled to take account of the scheme commitments. For example if a person is committed to participate on CE for five mornings, any meetings with a personal advisor and other interventions will be scheduled for the afternoons.
This will have a number of benefits both for the vital services provided at a local level by participants on CE and directly for the Department’s customers.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
