Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with what the Minister of State has outlined as the function and value of the community employment scheme. To an extent, this boils down to common sense. We are forcing people to jump through hoops that should be unnecessary. We are making it far more difficult to connect people who want to work and participate in the scheme with those who want to give such people a job. I call on the Minister of State to reflect on this and bring back my message to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Doherty. The scheme could have a position available that could be advertised locally. Someone could contact the provider of the job in question. Yet, someone who might have been out of work for two or three years may not be given a chance on a community employment scheme. At the moment, the person seeking the opportunity must spot the vacancy online and apply for it online. The context of the CE scheme has to be borne in mind at all times. Some people have had difficulty in getting work for a significant period. They may have literacy skills, they may be older or they may have limited computer skills. It is unreasonable, impractical and inflexible to force everything to go through the online process. It should be possible to advertise the positions online but it should also be possible to make the provider and employers use other means, whether advertising locally or whatever, to fill positions and to offer such positions to people who want to work.

Part of the problem is that positions are now becoming available but no one is applying for them or filling them. I have been informed of this from those responsible for projects in my area and from talking to supervisors who maintain the problem is coming up in other areas as well. The problem is that candidates are not aware the positions exist and they have no knowledge of how to apply for them. People can go to the Intreo offices and be walked through it, but that is a slow and laborious process for every application. It is simply unreasonable. I believe it is holding people back from getting jobs in the community employment scheme.

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