Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter. This issue came to light when Limerick youth services contacted me a short time ago. Since June 2006 more than 14 lone parents involved in FÁS-funded community training schemes, including leaving certificate applied and FETAC programmes, have left these two-year courses which are designed to enable participants to assimilate into the workforce. Under this scheme, up to June 2006, a child care allowance was provided for the full duration of the course. In early 2006 the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment instructed FÁS to carry out a review of the scheme and further instructed it to reduce the period of payment for the child care allowance to 52 weeks. It is ludicrous that FÁS community training schemes must be for a period of two years but those taking them cannot continue, as they only receive the child care allowance for 52 weeks. To make matters more ludicrous, a person who began the course in May 2006 will receive the payment for 104 weeks but someone who began in July 2006 only received it for 52 weeks.

There are approximately 119 people undertaking the leaving certificate applied and FETAC programmes which come under Limerick youth services which do fantastic work. Since June 2006 14 people have left the programme, while another three are hanging on by their fingertips and have family members and friends minding their children in an effort to stay on the programme. There is no consistency of care for their children and they find it is impossible to continue on the course.

The Minister must as a matter of urgency reverse the decision made in 2006. It was not made as part of any budget measure. It was done by stealth by the Department without full public knowledge of what was happening. The allowance is €63.50 per child attending day care and €37.50 per child attending part-time day care because the child is attending primary school. As a matter of urgency the Minister must reinstate the child care allowance for these FÁS-funded community training schemes, including leaving certificate applied and FETAC programmes, in order that the allowance is paid for the duration of the course — two years — rather than imposing a penal 52-week cap. The purpose of the training schemes is to encourage people to enter the workforce. In one way, they are being encouraged to take a course but in another the Government is pulling the rug from under them by reducing the duration of the allowance from 104 weeks to 52. I want this decision reversed and await the Minister of State's comments.

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