Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
526. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of refusals per county which have been made in respect of persons seeking to take up a placement through the community employment scheme for each month in 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19319/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSponsors of Community Employment (CE) schemes advertise CE vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website, www.jobsireland.ie. Posting vacancies is a relatively simple process and a dedicated video tutorial is available on the site to assist sponsors. Anyone requiring further assistance can contact my Department’s National Contact Centre by phone at Lo Call 1890 800 024 or (01) 248 1398, or by email at jobsireland@welfare.ie.
Jobseekers can view CE vacancies online. Eligible candidates are referred to sponsors by case officers in the local Intreo Centres. The sponsor then interviews potential candidates and notifies the candidates of the selection process outcome.
My Department does not refuse places on CE schemes. The primary role of the Department in relation to the filling of vacancies is to check the person’s eligibility to participate. Once a person is deemed eligible, it is the sponsor’s responsibility to recruit the approved number of participants.
Where a scheme is having any difficulty in recruiting suitable candidates, they should contact their local Intreo Centre who will be happy to assist with the process.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
