The valuable role played by the community employment scheme has been repeatedly mentioned. It is valuable not only for those employed but also for the communities who benefit. Have we reached the point that this social contribution no longer has any value or is only of value at a time of high unemployment? It is time to decide the value of social employment. Work under the community employment scheme covers a wide area, including support for the tidy towns competitions, voluntary sporting groups and crèches and support to enable women to join the workforce for the first time or to return to it.