Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Participation levels in the community employment scheme programmes in 2003 will be decided by a number of factors, including the rate of progression by participants in the open labour market, the underlying trend in employment and unemployment, the completion of the mainstreaming of places in the education sector and consideration of any further element of mainstreaming in the budget available for the scheme. The budget available for 2003 will be included in the Book of Estimates, which will be published tomorrow.

The primary purpose of community employment is to provide a transitional labour market programme of work experience and training for the long-term unemployed with a view to their reintegration into the open labour market employment. As part of the overall restructuring of the programme approved by the Government in 1999, place numbers are being reduced on a phased basis in line with the reduced levels of long-term unemployment and a strategy shift in policy in favour of greater investment in training, from which there is a greater level of progression to employment.