Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when a review will be complete on policy regarding the continuation of participants on community employment schemes aged 55 years or over; when the review will be published; and what her recommendations will be. [21700/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, 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. The programme helps unemployed people to progress to the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine and assists them in enhancing/developing both their technical and personal skills.

This Government will continue to support the positive role of CE in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons while at the same time providing essential services to communities. In this regard, we are keeping the operation of the Scheme under constant review.