Mary Harney
Ceist:116 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will consider extending the one year term of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who is presently employed on a Social Employment Scheme.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Scheme.
I indicated in the House on 11 March 1993, that I was reviewing the whole question of extensions for participants on the Social Employment Scheme.
That review is now complete and as and from the beginning of this week FÁS has responsibility for processing applications for participant extensions on the basis of the following criteria:
1. Where a project would have to stop because a replacement could not be found for a "key" person.
2. Where completion of a project has been delayed for a short time for reasons outside the control of the sponsor e.g. disruption due to bad weather.
3. Where a suitable replacement cannot be found for a participant despite the best efforts of sponsors and FÁS.
Applications for extensions should be made to FÁS only where at least one of the agreed criteria is met.
Extensions for participants on the Social Employment Scheme are now a day-to-day matter for FÁS.