16 DFómh 2012, 09:56
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection will tomorrow meet with Department Officials and trade union representatives to review the Community Employment Scheme.
16 October 2012
The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is designed to help people who are long-term unemployed to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities. The Committee will engage separately with senior officials from the Department of Social Protection and representatives of SIPTU.
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “Our Committee is intent on exploring all practical options to minimise unemployment. The Community Employment Scheme has proved an effective means of addressing long term unemployment in particular and provide services in local communities that might not otherwise be provided. New figures from the Central Statistics Office show a 15 percent increase in the numbers taking part in programmes such as JobBridge, Community Employment, and FAS full-time training places.
“In recent weeks, our Committee heard Social Protection Minister Joan Burton TD outline the pressures on her Department’s budget for 2013. Department Officials will discuss the scope of the current CE scheme and how the impact of any upcoming adjustments can be minimised. Meanwhile, SIPTU are expected to argue forcefully for the continuation and restoration of adequate funding for CE schemes.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 17 October in Committee Room 3, LH 2000 at 10 am. Committee proceedings can be viewed online via this link.
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Áine Collins, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Independent
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)
Senators:
Jim D’Arcy
Fidelma Healy Eames
Marie Moloney
Marie Louise O’Donnell
Averil Power
Diarmuid Wilson