Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 471: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will review the criteria and guidelines laid down by his Department and urgently review the mainstreaming of the community employment schemes, providing direct services to persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34457/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to assist them to develop both their technical and personal skills.

To this end and in order to support the delivery of essential services, the ring fencing and prioritisation of places for health related services, childcare and Drugs Task Force clients was introduced in 2002/2003. As a result of this ring fencing of places, service provision levels within these sectors was, and continues to be, maintained at a constant level. The total number of places spread across the 3 ring-fenced sectors is approximately 6,000, which represents 27% of current places. There are currently no plans to mainstream these Community Employment places.