The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness included 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 reduce the participation level in community employment scheme programmes to 28,000 places and the current mainstreaming of community employment scheme places to the education sector will further reduce this. Officials in my Department have confirmed this on a number of occasions with the social partner representative in the standing committee on the labour market and it has also been clarified in responses by the Minister to parliamentary questions on the restructuring of the community employment scheme.