Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 288: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of community employment scheme places in County Louth; and if all specific CE scheme placements are currently allocated. [28747/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Community employment helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The focus of CE is on developing technical and personal skills to enable a person to return to the open labour market. Persons engaged are provided with work and training placements of 191⁄2 hours duration per week with a not-for-profit community sponsor delivery local services. The funding allocated for 2011 will allow for the provision of some 23,300 places nationally. The number of CE place in County Louth is 853 of which five are currently vacant.

Operational matters in relation to community employment, including the allocation of places, are a day-to-day matter for FÁS as part of its responsibility under the Labour Services Act, 1987, as amended by Part 3 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2010.