Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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199. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the serious threat to community based drug rehabilitation projects, special community employment schemes, because of her Department's moratorium on hiring CE supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10859/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In response to the Deputy’s question, I can confirm that there is no Departmental moratorium in place for sponsoring organisations in relation to the recruitment of Community Employment (CE) Supervisors. Where the sponsoring organisation wishes to proceed, and the numbers of participants employed on a project warrant the hiring of additional supervision, an application setting out the justification for the additional resource should be submitted to the Department for approval under the CE Supervisory Grant.

The CE Operating Procedures outlines the required ratios of supervision to number of participants - 1 to 25 participants on mainstream CE projects. Where the number of participants exceeds 25, an assistant supervisory post can be approved.

CE schemes involved in the drug rehabilitation strand have a lower participant to supervisor ratio due to the different nature of the clients participating on those schemes. The standard ratio is 7 drugs rehabilitation referred participants and 2 mainstream participants to 1 supervisory post for dedicated drugs rehabilitation schemes. This adjusted ratio was agreed, in consultation with statutory, community and voluntary sector representatives, under the nine special conditions to support the delivery of drug rehabilitation places on CE.