Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point I try to make all the time is that it is identical to the community employment scheme, which is greatly lauded by the same people on the Opposition benches who knock the Gateway scheme. The only difference is that the Gateway scheme is managed by the councils and the community employment scheme is managed by private companies. There is a cohort of people who were victims of the downturn in the economy and lost their jobs on building sites, etc., when they were their late 40s or early 50s. Five, six or seven years on, there is no realistic prospect of them getting back into the workplace. As they are finding it hard to find work, they really appreciate the existence of these schemes. They are happy to contribute to and be part of something. There is a real scarcity of places on these schemes. Does the Department of Social Protection have any plans to extend the capacity of the existing schemes or develop new schemes to cater for people in their 50s and early 60s? Many people in this age group do not see themselves getting back into the workplace, and understandably so in some instances.