Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

We must ensure this important issue remains at the centre of the Minister's attention. For her to talk about this cut as being part of a review, a component of her master plan for employment services, is unconvincing. I agree that we must ensure back to employment services are structured so that they are as efficient as possible in equipping people to return to work. There is nothing wrong with that objective, but it is not what the Minister is doing here. Rather, she is attempting to justify the reduction in the materials grant by "bigging" it up into some type of review. It is simply not acceptable. These CE schemes are the lifeblood of many of our communities. They assist GAA clubs, parishes, tidy towns groups, community resource centres and crèches. Deputy Nash stated that CE schemes might not be maximising their potential to assist people in returning to work. There is no such thing as a community employment scheme that does not contribute effectively and in an important way to its local community. While we need to improve and enhance our back-to-employment schemes and the options available to those who find themselves unemployed, we need also to ensure continuation of CE schemes and the work they do. Where CE schemes are not assisting in directly leading people back to work but are contributing to the benefit of local communities, as is the case in many instances, we should to be improving them rather than cutting their funding. We need to increase the opportunities of the many talented people on the live register who are sitting at home but would like to be contributing to society.

The demand for participation in CE schemes has increased dramatically during the past couple of years. There are people at home unemployed who want to contribute, to be doing something useful, to better their chances of getting back into employment and to use their skills to benefit their local areas. The Minister's plan will, by default if not intent, result in the closure of many CE schemes or in making it impossible for many of them to work.

CE schemes are important. As of December there were just under 22,000 people on the live register in Cross, County Donegal. While in 2010 more than 500 young men in the area came off the live register, more than 400 women went onto it. The dynamic at work here is emigration. There is no room on CE schemes for talented people previously involved in construction who wish to bring their skills to bear in a way that contributes to their local area, thus providing them with a hook to keep them at home while awaiting an upturn in employment opportunities.

I urge the Minister, Deputy Burton, to reverse these cuts. CE schemes are essential to many areas, groups and local communities. I urge her to reverse these cuts.

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