Ms Deirdre Shanley:

I will pick up on Ms Stack's final comment. In the context of some of the vacancies being filled, the local community development officers would work with the scheme when the person leaving has a particular skill set and a period of overlap is needed to train in the new person. I know divisions are very flexible around that and try to accommodate a few weeks of overlap at the end of a person's contract.

With respect to the length of time somebody can stay on a scheme, we have opened it up for participants from 21 years of age. For participants aged between 21 and 55, the standard duration will be one year. For participants aged over 55, they can stay on it for three years. For participants aged over 65, there is no obligation to engage in training or education to stay on it for three years. For those participants aged between 21 and 55, we will extend them into a second or third year if they are pursuing education or training leading towards a major award, but that may be a module at level 3, which is a very basic level of education, and it could be just one module in the first year. The aim is to encourage people at that age who have education or training needs to get onto that ladder.

If somebody comes along with literacy or numeracy difficulties and cannot access education or training, we will also extend those people into a second or third year provided they are doing something that is recognised that will address their literacy difficulties. They do not need to be pursuing a Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, level 5 course, because that is not accessible to everybody, to be extended into the second year. We require that they would be on a suitable pathway for their level to address their training or education needs. If they have a very low level of education and no formal qualifications, they may pursue a basic learning module at level 3. That is recognised and, in those circumstances, people can be extended into a second or a third year. This is all to guide them towards coming out at the end their period on the scheme with some training or education that will help them access employment.