Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether the discrepancy in pay rates between those on the social employment scheme and those on the community employment scheme is justified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2714/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The social economy programme and the community employment scheme are two separate initiatives with individual aims and objectives. The social economy programme provides funding for social enterprises with a view to establishing the enterprises on a viable basis and thereby providing permanent employment opportunities within the enterprises. The funding provided by FÁS to the enterprises includes wage support to the level of the minimum hourly wage. The wage rates are set by individual enterprises, which are free to top up the FÁS support from within their own resources.

The community employment scheme provides eligible unemployed people with the opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities. It aims to help individuals to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work route and to assist them to enhance and develop their technical and personal skills. The emphasis on the programme is on progression into employment or further training. Involvement in the scheme is finite and participants must leave when their duration has expired.