Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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26. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if community employment scheme workers are to be considered supernumerary to core child care staff under the new CFA standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14204/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Community Employment (CE) programme is a labour market activation measure designed to help people who are long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged people to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities. After placement, participants are encouraged to seek permanent part-time and full-time jobs elsewhere based on the experience and new skills they have gained while in a Community Employment scheme. The CE programme is administered by the Department of Social Protection. CE workers are not currently regarded as supernumerary staff and the introduction of the Standards will not change this.

New qualification requirements, being introduced under the Pre-School Quality Agenda, will mean that all staff employed to work directly with children in pre-school settings must hold as a minimum a FETAC Level 5 qualification. This new requirement will apply to new services from September this year and for existing services from September 2015. The child/adult ratios currently set out in the Explanatory Guide to the Child Care (Pre-School Services ) (No 2) Regulations 2006 can only be met by those who hold the required qualifications. Following the introduction of these changes CE workers on placement will not be in position to meet this requirement. My Department is aware of the difficulties that these changes will present to community childcare facilities and will later this year be considering how best to address this issue.