Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his intentions in relation to commencing the process of providing core funding for community employment positions currently supporting personal social services for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17350/06]

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.

On 10 November 2004, following a review of FÁS employment schemes (community employment, job initiative and social economy programmes), I announced that community employment places supporting the delivery of health services will continue to be ring-fenced and this has been the practice since then.

Decisions regarding the provision of core funding for the health services generally is a matter for the Minister for Health and Children.