Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)

This whole situation creates turmoil. People do not know where they stand with current schemes, other than the fact that the purse strings have been tightened on them. On account of this announcement, we are facing the prospect of schemes being discontinued. We have a scheme for the Ballina Salmon Festival in my town. This scheme is a year-long plan for a one week festival where we get more than 300,000 visitors to our small town. It brings in local revenue of up to €2.5 million. Bed nights are at 100% for the whole week. Coupled with the work done with Meals on Wheels, the community employment scheme is part of the fabric of the community and it is facing crisis.

There are rural schemes in places like Mayo Abbey. We like to think there was a time when the local parish priest knew how everybody was getting on, but nowadays the people running these schemes go out into the community to houses where elderly people are on their own, bring them in for a meal once a week and provide them with social contact. They grow their own organic vegetables in the compound where they run the scheme. What they do is probably way beyond what was initially envisaged and the CE schemes do excellent work within the communities where they are organised. They are run by volunteers and sponsors. I could say the same for the Moygownagh scheme and the Michael Davitt scheme, which runs the museum in the area.

The work done in the schemes is wonderful, but they have to have adequate money for materials and safety gear to do the work they are designed to do. There has to be some realism in this. It will be a disaster unless this enters the frame. The schemes have been moved to the Department of Social Protection. First, we were told that viable schemes will not be affected. We still do not know what a viable scheme is. Second, money for the scheme has been cut before the review has been carried out. That does not make sense. I know of several schemes where the sponsors have guaranteed money to the bank to pay insurance to run the schemes and to pay for heat and light for offices. Will those people be left out of pocket? The Minister has been very badly advised by people who know better in FÁS.

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