Discussions on the mainstreaming of community employment health services, which will involve the phased transfer of current community employment funding on such services to the Department of Health and Children, are at an advanced stage. The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness included an agreement on the reduction of 4,500 places in line with changed economic circumstances and the transfer of the financial equivalent of 5,000 places to the social economy programme. This would bring the participation level in community employment down to some 28,000 places and mainstreaming of places into the education sector would reduce this further. On completion, the equivalent of some 4,500 places will have been transferred to the education sector.