Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will revoke the decision to cap the number of years a person can remain on a community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38920/05]

Micheál 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. Following a review of FÁS employment schemes, that is, community employment, job initiative and social economy programmes, on 10 November 2004, I announced that the three year cap for participants on community employment was raised to six years for those aged over 55 in order 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 at present to make any further changes of this type to the community employment scheme.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason for introducing a limit of three years for participation on the community employment scheme and six years for persons over 55 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38921/05]

Micheál 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. Initially when the community employment programme was introduced in 1994, participation could extend from one year to a maximum of three years. However in practice, participation sometimes exceeded this limit.

As part of the restructuring of community employment approved in 1999, future participation on the programme by an individual was capped at three years, effective from April 2000. This change was introduced to discourage repeated participation and to encourage unemployed persons to avail of either training or education options, or both, where possible, which are shown to have more successful progression outcomes for individuals. The three year cap was amended in August 2001 to allow particularly disadvantaged persons to remain on the programme for a further period. In general, approximately 20% of participants including persons less than 55 years of age benefited from an additional year on the programme under the flexibility guidelines introduced in August 2001.

Following a review of FÁS employment schemes, that is, community employment, job initiative and social economy programmes, on 10 November 2004 I announced that the three year cap for participants on community employment was raised to six years for those aged over 55 in order to ensure the maintenance of essential community services particularly in rural areas, where it had been found that difficulties existed in finding replacement participants.

These employment schemes have made a major contribution towards the provision of a network of valuable community services throughout the country. Equally, they offer participants the opportunity of work experience in a wide range of disciplines, which equips them in time to progress to full-time employment in the open labour market.