Vol. 548 No. 2
256 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps which have been taken to ensure the smooth hand-over of the community employment projects for the disability sector from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to his Department; if all funding transferred will be focused on the community employment services for which it was previously used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4588/02]
In line with a commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, and following consultations with relevant Departments and the social partners, certain services currently provided by participants on community employment are being mainstreamed. This process has already commenced in the case of CE services in schools.
A FÁS audit of services currently provided under CE has identified in the region of 2,000 places in the area of health and personal social service, including services for people with disabilities, suitable for mainstreaming. My Department supports the mainstreaming of these services in view of its potential to create more permanent funding for the delivery of such services in the future. The allocation of funds to specific service providers will, thereafter, be a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards.
The modalities involved are being actively examined between my Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, health boards and FÁS. It is intended that discussions will also be held with representatives from the major sponsor organisations to ensure that all the relevant issues are properly considered before the mainstreaming commences. I am confident that current discussions can be brought to an early and satisfactory conclusion to enable mainstreaming to commence at an early date.
