Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I raise a matter which is not unlike the previous issue as it is to do with community schemes to provide employment for the unemployed and for those who wish to make a contribution to their community. The home care issue is very relevant to this matter. Many people are of the view that community employment schemes should be extended to include home care. I was informed by HSE west that 79,000 hours of home help is available for 2,500 people in County Galway. This sounds impressive but there will be a loss of 12,000 hours per month. Community employment schemes could be extended to that area.

However, there seem to be differing rules and regulations governing three schemes and I will provide some examples. In the past if a community wished to prioritise a particular project such as building a wall, a meeting room or a group water scheme, the community employment schemes provided some assistance. For example, the extension or development of a graveyard would have been regarded as a local project. However, this does not seem to be the case now. Community employment schemes are not always permitted to become involved in such projects. There seems to be no difficulty as to the type of community work carried out under a rural social scheme nor are there time limits on the number of years a participant may be on the scheme. The big drawback is that a herd number is required in order for a person to qualify which means that person must be involved in the agriculture sector. That rules out quite a number of people from the scheme.

When Deputy Ó Cuív was the Minister responsible he introduced the Tús scheme which provides at least one year's work. My understanding is that a person cannot revert to community employment after completing one year on Tús.

I support all the schemes but there is a need for more places. There is also a case for retaining as many people as possible on these schemes because some have specialist skills who make a significant contribution to the schemes.

I ask the Minister of State to clarify the rules and regulations. One regulation states that community employment schemes may not work on graveyard projects. I refer to work to extend a graveyard by building a wall and this is a good example of the type of work that could be carried out. I refer in particular to the extension to Killyon graveyard in Newbridge, County Galway, near where I live. It was not possible to complete the work on that scheme because it was decided it was not a community project. The Department should allow works such as graveyard extension to be completed under a community employment scheme. I know this is what the people of Newbridge and Killyon would like to see happen.

There are many examples of community work that should be permitted. It is very unfair that two neighbours may be working on two different schemes but they are treated differently. They are both trying their best to work for the good of the community.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The employment schemes to which he refers came within the remit of the Department of Social Protection at the beginning of 2012. Community employment is an active labour market programme, with the emphasis on progression into employment and-or further education and training. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration given to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community.

The primary purpose of community employment is as a transitional programme to reintegrate the long-term unemployed and other specified disadvantaged groups into open labour market jobs. The programme is designed to provide fixed-term, temporary opportunities for persons on the live register who have been unemployed for a minimum of 12 months and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for specified periods. Participants on the programme work for an average of 19.5 hours per week and may also avail of training opportunities. Participation on the programme can vary from between one and seven years based on age and qualifying eligibility.

Under the community employment programme, public sector and voluntary organisations known as community employment sponsors are grant-aided by the Department in respect of sponsoring a community employment project. In turn, they benefit in a secondary way by being able to carry out worthwhile work which they could not otherwise undertake. Suitable projects are those that can be shown to respond to a clearly identified community need and develop the work skills of participants, thereby enhancing their prospects of obtaining a mainstream job. Revised community employment guidelines have been published recently and will be updated as and when required.

The community employment scheme, rural social scheme and Tús are employment programmes administered by the Department of Social Protection. The schemes have different target groups and overall aims, although they are similar in many respects. Participation on the community employment programme and rural social scheme is voluntary, while participants on Tús are selected by the Department of Social Protection. Each scheme has its own rules and regulations in line with the overall aims of each programme.

The rural social scheme is aimed at low income farmers and fishermen and fisherwomen. It provides a supplementary income where participants are unable to earn an adequate living from farming or fishing. To qualify for the scheme a person must be in receipt of certain social welfare payments and in return he or she provides services that benefit rural communities. The Department has overall responsibility for policy on the rural social scheme, including eligibility criteria. At a local level, the scheme is managed by implementing bodies such as local development companies and, in the Gaeltacht areas, Údarás na Gaeltachta.

A participant on the rural social scheme works 19.5 hours per week based on a schedule that is friendly to farming and fishing. This is done to ensure participation on the scheme does not affect a person's farming or fishing activities. Contracts run from the commencement date up to the following 31 March and participants may be considered for a further term following the initial contract if they continue to meet all the criteria for the scheme. Local management decides on each participant's renewal application. While it is not intended that anyone would remain on the scheme permanently, there is no definite time limit for participation.

Tús, on the other hand, is an activation initiative for those who are unemployed and on the live register. The initiative aims to support the work readiness of those who participate. It provides short-term quality and suitable working opportunities for people who are unemployed, while carrying out beneficial work within communities. It is hoped the scheme will contribute to the management of the live register and act as a disincentive to those who are not eligible for welfare benefits. Participants will be identified in the first instance by the Department of Social Protection by satisfying the following conditions. He or she will have been continuously unemployed for at least 12 months and "signing" on a full-time basis; be in receipt of a jobseeker's payment from the Department of Social Protection for at least 12 months; and be currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

The Department will identify and contact persons on the live register who satisfy the criteria and offer them the opportunity to be considered for local placement as opportunities arise. When those identified agree to participate they will be referred to the local development company or Údarás na Gaeltachta office operating in their area for interview and consideration for placement. The local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta will maintain a panel from which persons will be recruited. As placement opportunities arise, those on the panel will be matched with the work and recruited. Prior to being offered a placement, it will be necessary to ensure that a person's general suitability for the work involved and his or her experience of similar work is established. This will be done at local level by relevant bodies. All types of work can be offered and details of the jobs available will be provided at an interview with the implementing body. Work will be community based and attempts will be made to match the person's skills and location to available work placements. It is obligatory to respond to any offer made to participate on Tús by the Department.

As Deputy Kitt may be aware, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, requested a review of the overall employment support schemes to ensure we obtain the best possible value from them.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The community employment programme, rural social scheme and Tús initiative are highly beneficial and much good work has been done under them. I ask that the Minister investigate differences in the manner in which the rules governing the schemes are applied in different areas. I hope the review will address the need to retain participants on the schemes.

The Minister of State indicated that participation in the community employment programme can vary from one to seven years based on age and qualifying eligibility. There is a significant difference between one and seven years and I do not know of many people who have spent seven years in community employment.

I stress the benefits of community employment to local areas and individual participants. As the Minister of State noted, schemes also provide an element of training which is also of significant benefit. I hope the Minister will do everything in her power to ensure the maximum number of people are employed on community employment schemes. A flexible approach must be taken to the rural social scheme, Tús and community employment. When communities identify projects, whether for water schemes, amenities that come under the Tidy Towns competition or, for example, an extension to a graveyard, these should be given priority by the Department.

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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I accept the points made by the Deputy. On the issue of rules, conditions or standards being applied differently, while I am sure the Minister wants rules to be applied uniformly in as far as this can be achieved, an element of flexibility is needed in all publicly funded schemes. It is important to acknowledge the need to have regard to the fundamental objectives of schemes, even as they evolve over the years. No one disagrees with the Deputy's comment on the need to value the community gain that arises from many of these schemes.