Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 78: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide a breakdown for 2005 to date in 2009, on a county basis, of the number of recipients of one parent family allowance from the Department of Social and Family Affairs on employment schemes and the type of scheme; if she will further provide, in respect of community employment schemes, an analysis of the time spent on schemes by participants registered in each year between 2005 to 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29324/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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FÁS as an agency of my Department operates the Community Employment (CE) and Job Initiative (JI) schemes. Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including those with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis.

The Job Initiative Programme (JI) was launched in July 1996 and provides full time employment for people who are 35 years of age or over, unemployed for five years or more, and in receipt of social welfare payments over that period.

The main purpose of the programme is to assist long-term unemployed people to prepare for work opportunities by providing participants with work experience, training and development opportunities. The programme is sponsored by voluntary organisations and public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities.

The number of recipients of One Parent Family Payment (OPFP) on both Community Employment (CE) and Job Initiative (JI) are provided in the following tables:

An analysis of the time spent on schemes by participants registered in each year between 2005 and 2009 is provided in the following CE Completed Years Duration table.

This table has been compiled based on those participants present on the system as at year-end (except where otherwise stated). Persons who have not exhausted their maximum duration on CE and who continue for a further year (or years) will show in the next calendar year's figures i.e. a person listed as having completed less than one year in 2006 and who continues on CE to date will be shown in the 1+ years' row of the 2007 column and the 2+ years' row of the 2008 column.

Figures for 2005 are unavailable at such short notice and will be provided to the Deputy at a later date.