Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Community Employment Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 May 2012

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Ceisteanna (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)

Patrick O'Donovan

Ceist:

67 Deputy Patrick O’Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a community employment scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [22156/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In April 2000, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) introduced capped limits on the amount of time that a person could participate on Community Employment. Community Employment capping was introduced to facilitate the movement of participants though the programme, allowing new participants who may not otherwise have such an opportunity, avail of the programme.

In order for a participant to remain on CE for more than one year, certain conditions must be met. One condition is that a participant must have a minimum of a 156 week period on the Live Register, Community Employment, other recognised training interventions such FÁS training, or a combination of all these. Of these 156 weeks, 52 weeks must have been continuously spent on the Live Register prior to start in order to qualify for CE in the first instance. Unfortunately, the person referred to does not have the appropriate level of qualification time to remain on CE past her finish date of August 17th 2012. It is not possible within current regulations to extend her participation further; however, she may be advised to discuss further training or employment options with her local Employment Services. The Limerick Office can be contacted on 061-312440 to arrange same.

Question No. 68 answered with Question No. 57.
Questions Nos. 69 and 70 withdrawn.

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

71 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of community employment places that were occupied on 31 March 2012 in the north inner city ward and in Dublin central constituency. [22217/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

72 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of community employment drug rehabilitation places that were occupied on 31 March 2012 in the north inner city ward and in Dublin central constituency. [22218/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

73 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new entrants that started on community employment places between 1 January to 31 March 2012 in the north inner city ward and in Dublin central constituency. [22219/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

74 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new entrants that started on community employment drug rehabilitation places between 1 January to 31 March 2012 in the north inner city ward and in Dublin central constituency. [22220/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

75 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new entrants starting on community employment drug rehabilitation places between 1 January to 31 March 2012 in the north inner city ward and in Dublin central constituency who were female. [22221/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 to 75, inclusive, together.

On 31 March 2012, there were 555 participants on Community Employment places in Dublin 1 and 167 participants on Community Employment places in Dublin 7; together this makes up 722 places. Of these 722 places, 130 were drug rehabilitation places. One hundred and four participants on CE occupied drug rehabilitation places in Dublin 1 and 26 participants occupied drug rehabilitation places in Dublin 7.

Thirty-five new entrants started on Community Employment places between 1 January to 31 March 2012 in Dublin 1 and 4 new entrants started in Dublin 7 in the same period; together this makes up 39 new entrants to Community Employment between 1 January to 31 March 2012. Of these 39 new entrants 6 new entrants occupied drug rehabilitation places; 4 in Dublin 1 and 2 in Dublin 7. Two of these new entrants on drug rehabilitation places were female (1 in Dublin 1 and 1 in Dublin 7).

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

76 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding community employment reviews and specifically the future of the drug rehabilitation places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22222/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

My Department is currently engaged in two reviews that impact on Community Employment. One of these reviews is a review of Departmental Labour Market Activation Measures generally and the other is a financial review of Community Employment that aims to secure savings in the expenditure on materials and training grants in 2012 compared to that in 2011. The financial review of Community Employment (CE) Schemes is now nearing completion and to date no scheme has closed as a result of reductions to the materials and training grants. The review has proved to be a valuable exercise for both the schemes themselves and for my Department.

I have given assurances to CE Drugs Rehabilitation projects that no CE scheme will be forced to close as a result of the reductions in the training and material grants. My Department acknowledges that in most rehabilitative responses to addiction and drug misuse the focus on training to secure employment outcomes is regarded as an essential element of successful interventions. The CE Drug Rehabilitation Projects are working with the Department's Community Development Officers to ensure that there is adequate funding for the continuation of the valuable work undertaken by such schemes.

While the baseline amount of the materials and training grant remains the €500 per participant announced in the Budget, there is scope to make an amount of up to €1,000 per participant available to schemes in respect of the training and materials grant. The onus is on Sponsors to make the case for the appropriate level of the grant for their individual scheme. In the world of recovery from addiction, good practice shows that labour market participation is one of the surest ways to enhance self-esteem and reinforce stability and recovery. This balance between rehabilitation and training has been in the past, and will remain at the core of Community Employment on Drug Rehabilitation projects. I am particularly keen to maintain access to an adequate level of training for persons on these projects. I can give assurances that the 1,000 Drugs Taskforce places will remain in place and continue to be ring-fenced. As of 30th March, there were 852 participants on drug rehabilitation places on CE.

In recognition of the requirements for the delivery of training provision for people recovering from drug addiction, nine special conditions have been agreed to support the delivery of drug rehabilitation places on Community Employment. These conditions cover participant eligibility, referral, programme delivery and expected outcomes. In addition the Supervisor to participant ratio is 1:7 under standard CE — the normal Supervisor/participant ratio is 1:15. As stated there is also a policy review of Activation Measures underway and this review coupled with the policy approaches outlined as part of the Pathways to Work process will inform future developments in relation to CE and similar programmes.

Barr
Roinn