Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister is aware that community employment, CE, and Tús schemes provide communities across the State with a deep network of services. They have always acted where State provision has not been fully accessible to communities and are, in effect, part of the State machinery in looking after some of the most vulnerable communities in the country. Many non-profit organisations, charities and community groups are heavily reliant on CE staff. It is in that context I call on the Minister to relax the eligibility criteria to ensure that more schemes could be sustained, given that it is more difficult for them to get suitable applicants to ensure the tremendous work in communities continues.

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