Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister stated, in recent weeks community employment providers received notification that the review of community employment schemes was complete. They were also notified of the details of their revised grants for the year. The Minister also noted a slight increase of €9 million in materials and training grants from the originally budgeted figure of €11 million. The allocations made to many community employment schemes have been cut by between 30% and 40%. That will tip many of them over the edge in their efforts to continue in existence. Given that it had been going on since the budgetary process in January, when was the review completed and placed on the Minister's desk? When will she publish the plan for us to review? In direct communications and also at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I have asked her to publish the plan.

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