Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on changing the qualifying conditions to participate in community employment schemes in view of the economic situation and when an organisation (details supplied) in County Offaly found a suitable candidate for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12969/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North 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. The criteria for participating on the Community Employment programme are based on age and length of time in receipt of various social welfare payments.

The aim of CE still remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. FÁS makes every effort to ensure that differing levels of demand between neighbouring schemes are equalised. FÁS also operates the programme flexibly as far as possible to ensure the continuation of community projects. I have no plans to change the qualifying conditions for CE; however, I should say that the operation of the Scheme is being kept under constant review in the context of the current difficult unemployment situation.