Vol. 427 No. 6
135 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if it is the policy to reserve CEDP and social employment schemes in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress pilot areas to tackle long term unemployment for applicants from those areas, if so, if he has satisfied himself with the position; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Social Employment Scheme (SES) is the principal manpower intervention aimed at assisting the long term unemployed. The Community Employment Development Programme (CEDP) which operates solely in the 12Programme for Economic and Social Progress pilot areas is a development of the Social Employment Scheme whereby participants from the Programme for Economic and Social Progress areas retain their secondary benefits; in addition many CEDP projects provide training for participants. Persons from outside the Programme for Economic and Social Progress areas can participate in the CEDP if sponsors are unable to fill the approved number of places from within the Programme for Economic and Social Progress areas. However, such persons do not retain their secondary benefits.
Recruitment to the Social Employment Scheme and the Community Employment Development Programme is a day to day matter for FÁS.
