asked the Minister for Labour if he will sanction funding from the social employment scheme to undertake schemes which can be implemented by the farming community to restore their lands to production after the recent flooding.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Flooding Relief.
2.
As the Deputy is aware, the provision of assistance for farmers who were hit by the adverse weather conditions last summer is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture. A number of relief schemes have been introduced by his Department.
The principal aim of the social employment scheme is to help the long term unemployed by providing them with work which responds to clearly identified community needs. The work undertaken should be non-profit orientated and should not be a substitute for existing employment or reduce the hours of work of existing employees. It does not appear that assistance of the kind suggested by the Deputy would fulfil all of these criteria.
I should add that the initiative for undertaking particular schemes is a matter for the sponsors in each case. Sponsors may be either public sector bodies such as local authorities or other voluntary organisations.
Is the Minister aware that I had a question down to the Minister for Agriculture relating to flood damage during the summer where small farmers had tracts of land wiped away and sand, gravel, bog and all sort of things taken in on their land, and that now they are not in a position to clear the land and that there are no schemes under the LIS that they can avail of? Would the Minister not agree that here is an area where the social employment scheme could be used for community work where small farmers could get together and avail of the scheme in order to clear their lands and make them productive once again?
I would be sympathetic to the Deputy's suggestion, provided that the work done and the people employed under the scheme, if sponsored by a local group of farmers, was seen clearly to meet the criteria already set out in the social employment scheme. If the Deputy wishes he can discuss the matter with officials from my Department.