James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Senator John Paul Phelan. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and support the motion and the contributions of my colleagues regarding the continuation of the community employment schemes as outlined in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

The Minister of State stated that there were 30,809 participants in community employment schemes, something that was shouted from the rooftops in the run up to the general election. I am disappointed that the Government is planning a huge cut in the number of places because the removal of community employment for the long-term unemployed will have very serious consequences. The electorate was misled on this issue as well as many others before the election and there have been cuts in education, health and the disabled person's grant, to name a few.

These schemes provide much needed services to their communities and their environment, supporting development associations, community groups, sporting organisations, health care facilities and youth groups in many parishes. More importantly, people will be displaced due to the cutbacks in these schemes and, owing to the mismanagement by the Government of the economy, many will not be able to find work on the open market.

Will the Minister of State tell the House if the Government will provide the services currently made available by the schemes if community employment is cut back? How are the savings made to be used? Will the money go to pay more spin doctors or to educate a large number of long-term unemployed and part-time working mothers to enable them to find jobs? The schemes are undertaken in communities where alternative sources of suitable employment are not available. Can the Minister of State explain how the people who have been working on such schemes for a number of years are to be helped to find work, or is it the case that they are to return to the dole queue? Has any research been carried out to see what happens to people after they finish working on community employment schemes to see if they find jobs?

If those participating in community employment schemes begin claiming social welfare again, the Government will only be transferring costs from one Department to another. This is bureaucracy at its worst. Major savings will not be made at a time when much needed services in local communities have been lost and particularly when disadvantaged areas require the kind of additional investment that community employment schemes provide for those who live in such areas.