Ms Kathleen Stack:

We will answer the Deputy's questions between us. I think everybody agrees that community employment does a great deal of work around the country. It sustains a significant amount of community and voluntary work across Ireland. It has to be protected and we are all very keen to ensure that happens. We recognise that there have been difficulties in filling vacancies in recent times. Many changes were introduced in July to broaden the pool of people who can get called. Age limits were reduced, for example.

I understand the Deputy's criticisms of JobPath. I am not here to defend it. I suppose I would I say I do not agree with him. I suggest one has to differentiate between the aim of JobPath, which is to create sustainable full-time jobs, and the aim of community employment, which is to create temporary part-time jobs. At a time when the number of job vacancies in our economy is increasing all the time, our focus should be on sustainable full-time employment. We need to be clear about that. My colleague, Mr. Lynch, will talk about how the JobPath vetting process works.

The Government-approved upper limit for community employment is 22,400. The figure for all the schemes is 32,000. We are working towards the 22,400 target. I would prefer to be in the position of trying to work towards the target than trying to work back from it. As I said to Deputy O'Dea, it is positive that we have managed to maintain the numbers roughly at the level they were five years ago, especially in light of all the changes that have taken place in the economy in the meantime.

The pensions issue has been ongoing for quite a while. As the Deputy is probably aware, a high-level group chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has been doing a great deal of work in this space. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is represented on it, as are a number of unions. I understand that the next meeting of the group will take place on 23 November. My understanding is that some decisions are likely to be made at that point. It is not within our remit to say "Yes" or "No" on this issue. I know the Deputy participated in a recent Dáil debate on it.