Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 5

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Louis J. Belton

Ceist:

116 Mr. Belton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding 300 FÁS supervisors following the completion of community employment schemes on 1 September 2001; the plans she has for redeployment of these supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23243/01]

Michael Creed

Ceist:

129 Mr. Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the result of her discussions with the Department of Education and Science regarding school services; and if matters have been completed to the satisfaction of all concerned. [23248/01]

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

175 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the terms of the agreement between her Department and the Department of Education and Science in respect of staff on community employment schemes who have been working in the school system; if the jobs of those workers are assured by the Department of Education and Science; the implications of these and other changes in community employment for supervisors on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23360/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 129 and 175 together.

In line with a commitment in the PPF, and following consultations with relevant Departments and the social partners, certain essential services currently provided by participants on community employment – CE – are being mainstreamed. This process involves the transfer of CE funding for specific services to other Departments with functional responsibility for these services.

The mainstreaming of schools services is currently under way and after an appropriate transition period to allow participants work out their contracts in schools, such services will be solely the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science. Arising from these changes, an additional £46 million is to be made directly available to schools on an annual basis, phased in by 2003, for the purposes of providing replacement services in schools.

Following the completion of the transfer of CE funding to the Department of Education and Science, there will be no further CE involvement in schools services. CE participants currently working in schools will be facilitated in completing their full engagement in their school project, which may be for a period up to three years. The new flexibility arrangements for certain disadvantaged workers on CE, which I recently announced, will not apply in schools projects. However, such participants may be facilitated in non-school projects.

Supervisors are employed by sponsors of CE projects and these positions are funded by a grant from FÁS. Under the mainstreaming of schools services supervisors may be retained to manage dedicated schools projects for so long as at least five participants remain on the project. They will then remain for a further period of up to two months from the date of departure of the fifth participant to facilitate the orderly winding down of the project. The positions held by supervisors in these schools projects will then be made redundant as the mainstreaming of schools services is phased in and as these projects are discontinued.

FÁS employment services will make every effort to ensure that CE supervisors being made redundant are made aware of other employment opportunities, including those arising in the social economy, as this programme is rolled out, or in other CE schemes. FÁS employment services will initiate contact with such supervisors and provide the full range of employment supports, including job placement or further training if required. In addition FÁS will ensure that redundant supervisors, with their consent, are placed on the regional database of CE supervisors for future prospective employers.