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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 6

Written Answers. - Social Economy Programme.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

169 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will outline the details of the new social economy mechanism from which part of the funding of community employment has been allocated; and the type of organisations which can apply for support under this programme. [8738/00]

Arising from the Partnership 2000 report on the social economy, the Government decided in July 1999 to approve the introduction of a social economy programme.

The programme is overseen by a national monitoring committee chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and representatives of relevant Departments and the social partners. The monitoring committee has recently adopted the operating framework for the new programme.

The programme will be operated by FÁS. The next steps are the establishment of local working groups to oversee the programme at local level and the promotion of the programme. Applications for funding will be made through FÁS offices locally.

The objectives of the social economy programme are to promote the emergence and consolidation of the social economy; to maximise the potential of the social economy to generate employment that is sustainable and of high quality, subject to labour market constraints; to regenerate both urban and rural communities by providing urgently needed local services, employment opportunities and experience for people who have been distanced from the labour market; and to promote equal opportunities between men and women.

The three categories of project that will be funded under the social economy programme are community businesses, which are ultimately expected to be financed from trading income alone; deficient-demand social enterprises, where the demand for particular goods and services within a community is not matched by resources to pay for these due to disadvantage or low density of population; and enterprises based on public service contracts, where public services in disadvantaged areas and communities are subcontracted to local social economy enterprises.
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