Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the contractual arrangements between the sponsors of community employment schemes and their project workers; if the secondary benefits will be maintained by existing CE workers on the cancellations of their contracts; and the arrangements for new entrants. [2666/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Participants on Community Employment (CE) schemes are contracted on temporary, fixed-term annual employment contracts with the relevant CE Sponsoring organisation.

Secondary benefits are generally retained by participants on CE, provided they continue to satisfy the qualifying conditions, depending on their individual circumstances. Expiration of their CE contracts has no effect on the secondary benefits as the Department links their claims from before and after their CE participation.

As announced in Budget 2012, the payment of two qualified child increases per child where the person is employed on a Community Employment (CE) scheme and in receipt of One Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife's Benefit/Allowance or Widow(er)s Pension, will be discontinued for existing participants and new entrants in January 2012. New entrants to CE are defined as persons who have not participated on the scheme in the last 12 months.

New entrants to the Community Employment programme will not be able to claim another social welfare-funded payment at the same time, but will receive the standard additional €20 CE participation bonus on top of their original payment amount. This measure affects persons in receipt of One Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife's Benefit, Widow(er)s Pension, Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. Those already on CE will retain their original social welfare payment (bar double child increases per child for lone parent-type payments, as detailed above) for as long as they are continuously employed on CE for a maximum period of three years, where applicable, based on their eligibility to continue participation.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the terms of reference of the current review of the FÁS community employment programme; the way the distinctive nature of the CE ring-fenced drugs rehabilitation projects which have a critical role in delivering the national rehabilitation strategy will be taken into account as part of this review; if she will give a commitment that no cuts will be implemented until after the reviews are completed and the agreed outcomes are finalised; if she will undertake to ensure that sponsoring projects including reps from CE drug rehabilitation projects are represented on the body responsible for the review; and that she provides details of the other members of the review group. [2756/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are currently 1,143 Community Employment Schemes (CE) in operation with 23,300 participants. Under the designated ring-fenced places for Community Employment Drugs Rehabilitation places, there are over 800 CE places activated in support and rehabilitation of participants referred with Drug addiction issues. These places provide much needed support for those in recovery and provide a path towards re-entry to working and community life.

Given the rehabilitation needs of participants, a key feature of the CE Drugs Rehabilitation Schemes is the focus on training and certified learning. The Department of Social Protection are aware of the special functions of the CE Rehabilitation Schemes and recognise the favourable progression outcomes from the Schemes. To date, the progression outcomes for participants on the Drug Rehabilitation Schemes continue to compare favourably with the standard CE Schemes, despite the down turn in the economy.

The current review of financial resources initiated by the Department of Social Protection, commenced in January, with a time frame for completion by the end of March 2012. The outcomes will inform the overall approach to be taken by Department of Social Protection in prioritising spending while addressing the need for budget reductions.

At this stage, the agreed terms of reference for the review have been circulated to regional management. To ensure consistency in approach by the Department of Social Protection, a template/schedule outlining the areas for the financial review was designed and this is the basis of the review at scheme level.

The Terms of Reference for the Review is as follows:

o To examine the income and funding of sponsoring organisations in terms of their ability to continue the programme with reduced funding from DSP. There are community and voluntary sponsoring organisations that receive funding from a multiplicity of state agencies.

o To quantify the expenditure on training provided and the qualifications achieved by participants.

o Alternative sources of support will be examined particularly with reference to funding from other state agencies to avoid duplication.

o To establish if income is generated by scheme activity and the potential for utilisation of these funds to cover project costs.

The review is being undertaken in consultation with Sponsors and CE Supervisors at local level. In addition to this, the Department will meet with representative bodies and relevant state Agencies to gather views ways to lessen hardships given the requirements of the reductions. The outcomes will be incorporated into the Report for the Minister.

Staff are advised that Schemes who have committed expenditure to eligible costs and where this has been approved by the DSP under existing arrangements, this will be reimbursed.