Vol. 480 No. 2
64 Mr. Farrelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment the changes, if any, she has for the proposed part-time job opportunity programme which has been piloted by the Conference of Religious in Ireland for the past three years; if parties in Government have made a decision to change the rules governing this organisation's work; the number of people employed by it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13807/97]
The CORI part-time job opportunity programme is a three-year pilot programme which was scheduled to end in June 1997. Given that there will be wind-down issues and that some individual projects did not start on time it will be the end of September before the programme is completely finished. CORI's involvement with the programme ceased at the end of May, as was its wish.
An evaluation of the pilot programme has been completed and was considered by the previous Government. The evaluation points to a number of positive outcomes from the programme, such as allowing participants to remain on projects for three years and the introduction of spousal swops. These aspects have already been mainstreamed into community employment. Other innovations of the CORI concept, such as the rate for the job approach, were the subject of detailed negotiations between officials of my Department and representatives of CORI and it was decided that the rate for the job should be applied to the community employment part-time job option on a gradual basis from September 1997, subject to a minimum participation period of 12 hours per week.
At least 3,000 participants will be paid the rate for the job by September 1998, a further 3,000 by September 1999 and the remaining participants on the part-time job option by September 2000. The rate for the job approach has already been adopted in the pilot whole time job initiative programme.
With regard to the existing sponsors-participants in the pilot programme, the position is that all suitable CORI sponsors who wish to convert to community employment will be allowed to do so; participants will receive special guidance and counselling before the project comes to an end to help them get employment in the open labour market, and that the option of allowing participants a further year on community employment be maintained if it becomes necessary.
