Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 132: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has provided sufficient funding to ensure the continuation and expansion if necessary of various community employment schemes throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8678/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 aims to facilitate 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 achieve these objectives, FÁS works in partnership with community and voluntary organisations to provide much needed social services within a community based environment.

The aim of CE still remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment. The programme is managed in a flexible way within this context, with consideration to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. The Community Employment budget of €377m for 2008 has been provided.