Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Tánaiste will know we have nearly 2.5 million people working in the country and record low levels of unemployment. That is posing a recruitment challenge for organisations right across the country, including community employment organisations. I have been approached by Erins Isle, my local GAA club, and by many other community employment organisations in my area, asking for a full review of the community employment schemes. Community employment schemes have many different shapes and sizes. They can be large NGOs with large payrolls and paid staff. They can be small parish halls or services that perhaps should be provided by the State, such as meals on wheels. We have to review community employment. We have to review the difference in payment between that scheme and some other social welfare payments and we have to better resource our community employment.

The opportunity to do that is with the Minister who has responsibility for both community development and social welfare. I ask that this be communicated to her.

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