Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to ensure that 1,600 FÁS community employment places are mainstream State funded particularly for the jobs of personal assistants for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41074/06]

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 enhance/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, including assistance for persons with disabilities, child care and Drugs Task Force clients was introduced over the period 2002/2003. As a result service provision levels by CE participants 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, namely drugs, child care and health, is approximately 6,000, which represents 27% of current places.

In November 2004, following a review of FÁS Employment Schemes (Community Employment, Job Initiative and Social Economy Programmes), it was announced that Community Employment places supporting the delivery of health services will continue to be ring-fenced. However, in line with Government policy, there are currently no plans to mainstream these Community Employment places.