Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 1

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

121 Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if those who have spent most of their lives rearing their family rather than working outside the home will be included in the criteria to qualify for FÁS or community employment schemes in view of the fact most of them had not been signing on the live register when working from home. [19480/99]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

The primary purpose of programmes such as community employment is to provide a pathway back to open economy jobs for those who need such support. Heretofore, this programme has been prioritised very much towards long-term unemployed people or other specific groups facing particular labour market disadvantage. Notwithstanding decreases in unemployment levels, that will remain its primary focus.

The main, although not exclusive, group with which the Deputy's question is concerned is women who have worked in the home. It is important that women, who wish to do so, are facilitated to return to paid work on equity and labour supply grounds and there is evidence that many are doing so in substantial numbers. Many women returners avail of the services of FÁS, either for employment placement or for training, and such supports can frequently be more appropriate than going onto schemes such as community employment.

The return to work programme, for which there is no live register requirement is particularly suited to women returning in that it helps participants to develop the confidence necessary to re-enter the labour force, and is also an important bridging programme for progression onto other FÁS programmes. The programme is delivered on a part-time basis within local communities and in 1998 was completed by 1,065 women. Others move directly into skills training programmes and into enterprise training and from there directly into employment or self-employment.

As of now, I have no plans to further expand the eligibility conditions for community employment or associated programmes. However, a working group, representative of the social partners is currently considering the issue of access by women to labour market opportunities and any further change that might be contemplated in eligibility conditions to active labour market programmes will be considered in the light of the outcome of that study.