Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 115: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the consultations she has had with FÁS, community sector groups and unemployment groups prior to Budget 2010 in view of her decision to cut the FÁS training allowances for community employment and jobs initiatives participants and to cut funding for training and materials in respect of those on CE programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4681/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department consulted with a wide range of bodies prior to 2010 Budget including FÁS, some unemployment groups and community groups.

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.

Budget 2010 contained some changes to Community Employment Schemes however, the qualifying criteria and rules for participation remain unchanged.

A number of savings were identified, mainly in the area of training allowances that are linked to Social Welfare payments and certain FÁS Allowances that are provided in addition to the core training allowances. The FÁS allowance for CE and JI participants will be reduced from €24.40 and €48.80 per week to €20 and €40 per week respectively. In addition, new entrants to FÁS training programmes will only be paid an allowance if they had been entitled to Job Seekers Allowance or Job Seekers Benefit.

The funding in respect of training and materials for those on CE programmes will be reduced from €1,500 to €750 per head per annum.

These savings will allow for increased activation of the unemployed including an additional 500 CE places bringing the total number of places available to 23,300.