Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 592: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date between his Department and the Health Service Executive on the mainstreaming of community employment schemes; the schemes mainstreamed to date; the schemes which will be mainstreamed in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14437/07]

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 fixed term 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, childcare 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 (800), Childcare (2,000) and Health (3,200), 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. There are no plans at present to mainstream these Community Employment places.