Written answers

Wednesday, 28 September 2005

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Community Employment Schemes

9:00 pm

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 655: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the dissatisfaction of participants on the community employment scheme who are capped after three years of participation and who are resentful that those in the farming and fishing communities move to the rural social scheme without any regard to capping; if he will review the community employment scheme again to take account of this discrimination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24610/05]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The main purpose of the community employment programme operated by FÁS is to provide work experience and training for the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups and thereby enable participants to advance successfully to employment in the open labour market. However, I am informed that the primary purpose of the rural social scheme, under the aegis of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is to provide income support for farmers and fishermen, who are currently in receipt of long-term social welfare payments. The schemes are quite different in their objectives.

Under changes announced by me on 10 November last year the three year cap for participants on community employment was raised to six years for those over 55 years to ensure the maintenance of essential community services particularly in rural areas, where it had been found that difficulties existed in finding replacement participants. I have no plans to make any further changes of this type to the community employment scheme.

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