Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate what she said regarding the importance of the services that CE schemes deliver throughout the country. There are more than 1,000 CE schemes and more than 22,000 people participate in schemes. They make an enormous contribution to their local communities and provide a range of services, including helping with services for older and retired people, after-school clubs and sporting organisations, especially the GAA and soccer clubs, to maintain local sport services and a range of local community services.

I am aware there have been issues with rising insurance costs across the board. My Department is very aware of it and is working on it. When the CE schemes came under the Department of Social Protection, some of the schemes were paying very high insurance rates. The Department negotiated deals to reduce the cost of insurance. There have been demands for increased insurance charges and we are working to address them. I will come back to the Deputy about it. I am waiting for a number of officials to finalise some improvements in it.

Participants in CE schemes will see a small increase in the allowance of €2.50 per week from 1 January. Participants in receipt of a fuel allowance will also receive an increase in their fuel allowance of €2.50 per week from 1 January.

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