Ms Mary Donnelly:

The Deputy tabled a question on those under 25 years and received a response. There is a balance to be struck in the allocation of community employment places. We have a large cohort of long-term unemployed people. Community employment schemes were designed to meet the needs of the long-term unemployed. Other programmes were designed to cater for people under 25 years. The Department of Education and Skills has a wide range of programmes. For example, Youthreach was designed for disadvantaged young people who missed out on education.

When consideration was given to extending community employment schemes we focused on learning. People on the scheme would undertake significant pieces of learning and get the opportunity to complete that learning while they are on the programme. If they have completed their time on the scheme, it is important the sponsor examines whether they can continue their education through evening programmes or programmes devised by the Department of Education and Skills and provided through the VEC. That is an option. We are most anxious that people will be able to complete their qualifications. The one year or three years is available for people who need considerably longer to complete their course. The three year programme can be extended to four years in certain instances. If the participants are engaged fully, for example if they were referred through employment services where they have identified their needs in an accurate way and that matches the needs of the individual, they already would have a portfolio of learning that needs to be completed. That needs to be taken up by the scheme sponsor and by the community employment supervisor and implemented.

I note the point made by the Deputy on the reduction in the training grant and the importance of this training for people on schemes. We are mindful of that and the Minister has increased the allocation announced in the budget in 2012 by €1.3 million. We know that further provision is necessary and we have entered into detailed discussions with the Department of Education and Skills, in particular with the VECs on how they can provide those training and educational services to participants on community employment at no cost to the individual scheme or to the programme. We have advanced discussions with the VEC in the Dublin region. We are very aware that the VEC is very active in the Deputy's area in providing training and education. The City of Dublin VEC has agreed to provide a range of programmes that are very much tailored to the needs of people on community employment, in particular literacy, numeracy, communications and child care. We are looking to establish the primary needs of schemes in the Dublin area with a view to matching that up with what the VEC can provide. That will be supplemented by the budget that each project has for training.

On the question of child care, we have entered into detailed discussions with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Community employment is a very important support for the provision of child care services in communities. The very clear message we are getting from the Departments of Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs is that when participants come in to take up a place on a community employment scheme it is very important that they enter into a whole programme of learning and than when they leave they have a qualification in child care that is now regarded by the sector at Fetac level 5. It is very important that they have a given provision to undertake that learning while on the programme. We are looking at the child care stream to see how we can make a streamlined experience for the learner on community employment so that they come in, they already have a career plan and are very clear they want to have a profession in child care. They work in a quality child care project, they get the mentoring and support from the community employment supervisor in their learning and they attend the VEC for their child care programme or some other provider. That can be funded by the Department of Social Protection under the budget that is available or it can be funded and supported by the VEC. We are very adamant that this is a very important development in terms of community employment. I have had discussions with some community employment child care schemes and the county child care committees as well as officials in the Department.