The Deloitte & Touche evaluation of community employment was published in October 1998 and was the subject of extensive discussions with the social partners thereafter. It set a framework for a reform of this programme for the period ahead, in a context which has seen significant employment growth and unemployment reductions. It recommended that there should be a reduction in participation on the programme over time as well as a range of other reforms aimed at enhancing its effectiveness. Following due deliberation and consultation, I brought a series of proposals to Government to implement many of the reforms put forward. The Government decision was the subject of a press release in July of this year. There was no question therefore of any information being withheld from the public.
Since then I have held further discussions with the INOU and the ICTU to clarify some aspects of the Government decision. I was happy to clarify that the average level of places on CE schemes for 1999 will be maintained at 37,500 as previously agreed. In this context and given that the participation level at the beginning of 1999 was some 40,000, the projected outturn participation at the end of the year will be in the order of 37,000; there will be synchronisation to the greatest degree possible between the introduction of social economy jobs and reductions of CE places. Social economy jobs will, in general, be full-time jobs so there will not be a direct one-for-one ratio; there will be consultations with the social partners within the P2000 Committee on Labour Market Issues on how best to allocate any medium-term resources freed up by the restructuring of CE to fit the needs of long-term unemployed; there will be consultations with the social partners at a central level on the proper funding and provision of essential services currently delivered through CE; and I indicated that the re-focusing of resources towards alternative programmes already agreed with the social partners earlier this year is already operational. The Government decision to reduce the number of CE places by 4,500 over a five year period, and transfer the resources for 5000 places to a dedicated social economy programme, remains unchanged.
It should be noted that the Government has fulfilled by a factor of three the commitment to 10,000 additional active labour market programme places in paragraph 4.24 of partnership 2000. All of these places are for unemployed and socially excluded persons and most of them are targeted at the long-term unemployed. There will of course be further consultations on the provision of support to the unemployed in the context of the post Partnership 2000 negotiations.
