Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The employment services division of FÁS will join the Department of Social Protection on 1 January 2012. This division has responsibility for CE schemes. This means the operational budget for CE schemes will become the responsibility of my Department. The division has 700 staff and it is also responsible for the local employment service. As part of its integration into the Department of Social Protection, I have directed that a review of CE schemes commence immediately. The purpose of the review is to establish the ongoing viability of each scheme in the context of the overall objectives of the CE programme and recognising, in particular, the community and social value of each scheme and the value to the participant in helping them back to work. It would be odd if a review was not carried on a division of this size with responsibility for so many schemes. No scheme will close pending the outcome of this review.

Due to the current economic circumstances and the need for the Department to find savings of €475 million in the budget, it is necessary to examine all aspects of expenditure of my Department. We are planning savings of €27.5 million, which represents a reduction of 7.5% in the 2011 CE budget of €360 million. The Department will spend €960 million on employment supports, including CE schemes, in 2012. Thankfully, that is up from €882 million in 2011. There is actually a very significant increase in a time of cutbacks in the overall budget for employment supports.

Community employment schemes provide a very important and valued contribution to social employment, training and progression for jobseekers. Furthermore, many community employment schemes provide vital community services right across the country.

This budget has had jobs at its centre. While CE provides an excellent service for the community in many cases, and provides a level of work for employed persons, it does not have high progression rates into further education, training or, indeed, a job. Many schemes do; some schemes do not. That is the fact. We need to ensure that people who go on CE schemes have a better chance at the end of the process of returning to work, and we are beginning that process with budget 2012.

With regard to the training element of community employment, the national training fund will provide €4.2 million for training on CE in 2012. In addition, SOLAS will continue to provide access to its training programmes for CE participants. It also has an additional €20 million activation fund. The need for training on community employment varies depending on the needs of participants, how long they have already been on the scheme and the training already received.

I want to mention two reviews-----

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