Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The demand for the scheme is very strong. After the floods in Limerick, young family men in St. Mary's Park asked me if they could go on a scheme. They did so because they wanted to help with the work in Limerick after the disastrous floods last year. In this instance Sinn Féin should wake up and smell the coffee. There is a huge pent up demand for people, particularly former construction workers. Many of them are in relatively isolated areas. They are either on their own in a house or are in a more isolated rural area. These people want to get involved. The scheme is a pathway back to work, like lots of other pathways.

It is exactly the same as the social employment schemes initiated in the 1980s and the community employment schemes.