Ms Geraldine Hurley:

The second reason vacancies are higher than normal is I suppose because of the emergency support measures we put in place during Covid, which meant that contracts were extended, as I said, over the period of two years. As that has now come to the end from April, that means the churn, or the numbers leaving CE, is increasing month to month. That creates additional vacancies, which is why we have put the arrangements in place so no one has to leave a scheme. Even if a job is being advertised but there is no one suitable there to take up that position for whatever reason, the existing person can stay on that scheme as well. That is adding to the number of vacancies. However, there is an increased number of vacancies at the moment for that reason.

On the overall cost of schemes, when we are having discussions in the annual Estimates process with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, as the Deputy would be more than aware, it is looking at the gross cost of schemes. That is what they ask us. We obviously provide backup information on the costs of schemes. This is across all our employment support schemes and not only on the ones for the long-term unemployed. It is the gross cost that the Department very much looks at and looks for justification for.