Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 4

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

28 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons on deserted wives benefit cannot apply to be taken on to the community employment programme; and the proposals, if any, he has to resolve this issue. [1774/94]

John Connor

Ceist:

70 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the steps, if any, he has taken to ensure greater opportunities for training and employment of women on the community employment scheme. [2253/94]

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

76 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the categories of social welfare recipients who are excluded from participation in community employment schemes; in view of the number of anomalies, especially in regard to women, if he will review these exclusions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2237/94]

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

119 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number currently on community employment schemes; the categories of social welfare payments from which they came; and the reason those on deserted wives benefit are discriminated against in respect of eligibility for such schemes as compared to lone parents. [1736/94]

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

120 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of persons currently on the community employment programme. [1821/94]

Liz McManus

Ceist:

124 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment his views on whether the exclusion of women who are in receipt of deserted wives benefit, widows pension and lone parents allowance who are under 21 years and receiving payments for less than a year from community employment training schemes is contrary to the equality clause contained in the community support framework. [136/94]

Liz McManus

Ceist:

125 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment when he intends to enable deserted wives in receipt of benefit to be eligible for community employment schemes. [2294/94]

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

126 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the reasons lone parents in receipt of an allowance payment are eligible for community employment schemes in view of the fact that women in receipt of lone parents benefit are not; if he will remove this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2295/94]

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

129 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the reason lone parents such as a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 are not allowed to be considered for a FÁS course; if he will review this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1704/94]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 70, 76, 119, 120, 124, 125, 126 and 129 together.

The primary objective of the community employment programme is to provide opportunities for persons who are long term unemployed and on the live register and as such, persons in receipt of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit are eligible to participate. In addition, persons in receipt of lone parent's allowance are also an eligible category although they are not included on the live register. The question of whether or not a particular individual fulfils the eligibility criteria is, of course, a day to day matter for FÁS.

The possible extension of the agreed eligibility criteria on a limited basis to allow participation by other categories of persons not on the live register is under consideration at present through the Interdepartmental Policy Committee for the Local Development Programme which operates under the aegis of the Taoiseach's Department. Account will, of course, have to be taken of the cost implications of any such extension. I would point out that resources for the programme are limited and extending the eligible categories means that more people are competing for the available opportunities.

There were 32,865 participants on community employment on 30 September last of whom 27,761 had been in receipt of unemployment assistance immediately prior to their participation, 3,889 had been in receipt of unemployment benefit, 408 had been in receipt of lone parent's allowance and 807 were referred by the National Rehabilitation Board. I am glad to note that the number of women benefiting from community employment has increased significantly when compared with its main predecessors, the social employment scheme — SES — and the Community Employment Development Programme — CEDP. Of the 32,865 participants on community employment on 30 September last, 10,200 or about 30 per cent were women while the corresponding number last January was 5,688 or around 25 per cent of the then total number of participants on the SES and the CEDP.

I am satisfied that the targeting of community employment at particular categories of unemployed people is not contrary to the Community Support Framework.