Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way FAS make decisions in relation to ring fenced community childcare community employment places (details supplied). [34545/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Childcare provision is a major government priority and one to which the Department of Social protection has made a significant response through the development and provision of a range of quality training and qualification measures on Community Employment. There are 2,200 places ring-fenced for childcare on Community Employment schemes. These places are delivered through dedicated CE childcare projects and through the allocation of places to childcare services as part of the approval process of CE schemes. CE Schemes make an application to DSP on an annual basis for support under the Community Employment Programme. The application provides details of the work to be undertaken by the scheme and how the scheme proposes to support and progress job seekers and other eligible groups for CE. This application is then assessed by the CE Monitoring Committee against criteria laid down by my Department. Nationally there are 276 schemes with ring-fenced places for childcare. There is no decrease in the number of Community Employment ring-fenced places allocated in 2012.

A key element in the approval of all CE programmes, including childcare ring-fenced places, is the requirement that such programmes do not displace current jobs or employees or that they are not used to fill vacancies. All applications for CE must be accompanied by letters from local Union representatives that such displacement or replacement is not occurring. The programme is managed by DSP at a regional and local level, subject to the availability of budget and the needs of participants and the community.