Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to raise the perceived threat of cuts to community employment schemes and job initiative schemes in Clondalkin in the forthcoming budget. Along with other public representatives I recently attended a meeting in the Clondalkin, Education & Employment Development Services, CEEDS, centre in north Clondalkin. It is based in Áras Rualach.

A number of people were present who were representing the various schemes. Community employment and job initiative workers informed me, local representatives and Oireachtas Members from the constituency about the good work they do. The centre itself is an example of the valuable work that is done. CEEDS runs the local training initiative in north Clondalkin. I am familiar with the centre for many years. It has come on in leaps and bounds in terms of improved delivery of courses. I brought some of the groups into the Oireachtas. It is heartening to see how the course participants develop. At a recent graduation class people were talking about going on to do nursing and join the Garda Reserve. Most of those people would have left school without any qualifications. CEEDS gives them the opportunity of getting the equivalent of the leaving certificate through FETAC qualifications. CEEDS employs community employment workers, many of whom were previous attendees of the local training initiative. Some course participants come from disadvantaged backgrounds. On some schemes, people might have formerly had problems with addiction and other issues. There is a view that community employment and job initiative schemes do not offer much to society but in Clondalkin they do good for the community and provide important services while offering employment opportunities to people who might not be able to re-enter the workplace otherwise.

When I visited in September, I was given some letters by people on the schemes. One person wrote that if her job initiative was cut, it would have a devastating effect on her, her family and her community. She has written, "The job initiative scheme has given me the strength and confidence to move on with my life and out into the community, where I am at my best working with young people and their parents, giving them confidence to achieve for the themselves the education that is there right". Another letter from one of the JI workers made the point that if these schemes were cut, the effects would be felt in Clondalkin because so many people there are on jobs initiative and community employment schemes in the area.

There are 50 job initiative employees working for many of the local community and voluntary organisations, helping them to provide a good service in Clondalkin. The Neilstown Parish Social Action Group employs workers under these schemes, providing support to local national schools, the St. Vincent de Paul charity shop and the Beacon of Light counselling service among others. Disadvantaged areas have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and it would be terrible if the Government now made the mistake of cutting back on such schemes because it will have devastating effect on the local community and the people employed on them.

I worked on such a social employment scheme when I left college in the 1980s, the equivalent of a community employment scheme. It is better to be employed than not employed and although the salary may not be much more than what people would get on social welfare, people want to work for the community and enjoy it.

In recent years, the criteria for people who can work on such schemes have been narrowed and often it is those who come through the national rehabilitation service and those who have come through drug addiction support who need a place on such schemes. These schemes are worthwhile and with unemployment rising, we should increase them. I ask the Minister of State to maintain present numbers at the very least.

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on community employment programmes and job initiatives programmes.

Community employment is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. The purpose of CE is to help unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to assist them to enhance both their technical and personal skills. An important feature of CE programmes is the development opportunity they give to the individuals who participate on the programmes. Eligible projects are those which respond to an identified community need; provide development for participants in areas involving heritage, arts, culture, tourism, sport and the environment; have the agreement of relevant trade unions; do not displace or replace existing jobs; and offer valuable work experience for participants.

In April 2000 the former Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment introduced capped limits on the amount of time that a person could participate on CE. Such capping was introduced to facilitate the movement of participants through the programme, allowing new participants who would not otherwise have such an opportunity to avail of the programme. To cater for older workers in particular, in November 2004 the standard three year CE cap was revised to allow those of 55 years of age and over to avail of a six year period on CE, based on participation since 3 April 2000. Subsequently, in 2006 the participation limit for persons eligible for CE based on a social welfare disability linked payment, including those under 55, was increased by one year. These measures were introduced in recognition of the fact that older participants and participants with a disability may find it more difficult to progress into the open labour market.

Funding for CE in 2010 has been provided with a view to maintaining overall numbers on FÁS schemes. At present there are almost 23,000 people participating on CE schemes nationally. In the budget, provision was made for an increase of 500 CE places, bringing the total number of places available to 23,300 during 2010. FÁS is currently considering the feasibility of setting up a number of additional schemes, as well as expanding existing schemes to absorb the 500 places.

A wide range of client groups are given access to the opportunity CE provides, including lone parents, persons with disabilities, stabilised substance abusers and unemployed persons aged under 55. Currently there are 4,914 lone parents and 5.355 people with disabilities participating on CE, while 1,000 places are ring fenced for the CE drugs task force. The number of places on the drugs task force is kept under constant review. In delivering these places, FÁS operates flexibly in the management of this allocation to maximise progression to the labour market, while at the same time facilitating the support of community services.

FÁS continues to welcome proposals from local sponsors to carry out projects, and all proposals are considered within allocated budgets and participant numbers. The provision of places is managed through a standardised application process between regional FÁS offices and local sponsor and community organisations, and any issues regarding the allocation of places are dealt with in this context. However, it should be remembered that while participants remain on CE, they are precluding someone else from benefiting from the programme. FÁS makes every effort to ensure that differing levels of demand between neighbouring schemes are equalised.

FÁS will continue to operate the programme flexibly as far as possible to ensure the continuation of community projects. Persons who are considered job-ready are progressed through FÁS employment services onto other options, thus freeing up CE places for others in greater need.

The job initiative programme was launched in July 1996 and continues to provide full-time employment for people who are 35 years of age or over who were unemployed for five years or more and in receipt of social welfare payments over that qualifying period before entering the programme. The main purpose of JI is to assist long-term unemployed people to prepare for work opportunities by providing participants with work experience, training and development opportunities. FÁS operates the programme with a dedicated budget of €34.5 million for 2010. There are currently 1,329 participants, with this number decreasing annually due to retirement and for other reasons.

Following changes introduced in 2004 by the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, contracts for existing JI participants are renewed, allowing them the option to continue until they are 65 years of age. There is no recruitment to the programme due to this change.

JI participants are involved in a wide range of useful community services, including after-school care, breakfast clubs, homework clubs, gardening and security services. In addition, JI projects provide jobs in the social economy in administration and maintenance. The areas supported by these workers include community centres, creches, enterprise centres and parish properties. Currently, there are 15 schemes on the CE programme in the Clondalkin area, comprising 16 supervisors, eight assistant supervisors and 309 participants, while on the JI programme there is one scheme and 46 participants. FÁS has confirmed that there are currently no plans to reduce the numbers on either programme.

This Government will continue to support into the future the positive role of FÁS employment schemes in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons, while at the same time providing essential services to communities. In this regard, the operation of the schemes will be kept under constant review in the context of the current difficult fiscal and unemployment situation.