Written answers

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Department of Social Protection

Community Employment Schemes

9:00 pm

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 103: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when the community employment review will be published; if she will outline its contents; and the way she intends to respond to same. [31052/12]

Photo of Robert DowdsRobert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 104: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is evidence of community employment schemes closing down; the number involved; and the nature of the work they were undertaking. [31053/12]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 118: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the financial review of community employment schemes is completed, the date on which she intends to announce the allocations of materials and training grants to these schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31136/12]

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 120: To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to her announcement that she will initiate a review of community employment schemes, when the details of this review will be available; and when the promised seminars on CE schemes will take place. [31193/12]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 104, 118 and 120 together.

The Department of Social Protection commenced a financial review of CE earlier this year, which has recently been completed. The main objective was to identify areas where savings could be achieved, so that best use could be made of the available funding for CE. Given the volume and breadth of the data being returned, and the consequent analysis of this data, the review took considerably longer than originally envisaged to complete. However this has allowed more time for schemes to engage with local officials in the finalisation of their respective budgets and for the Department to bring forward improvements to the overall operation of CE which will improve the budgetary situation for schemes.

The review found that there is a considerable amount of variation across CE Schemes in relation to: the amount of training provided; the amount of materials required (for example because of the nature of individual schemes); the amount spent on overheads such as audit, insurance, rent etc.; and the potential for sponsoring organisations to meet costs that up to now may have been met, in part, through the materials grant.

As a result of the review, there are now new arrangements in place enabling schemes to reduce spending on Insurance and Audit costs. Considerable savings will be achieved this year as a result of these new arrangements. As some schemes had already incurred overhead costs for 2012 before these new arrangements were put in place, significant additional savings will also be achieved next year.

Following the completion of the review, schemes will receive notification of their revised allocations by the end of this week from their local departmental offices. The Department is committed to supporting CE participants and the sponsors in continuing the valuable contribution the programme makes to the provision of services to individuals and communities.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.