Written answers

Tuesday, 9 October 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Community Employment Schemes Data

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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502. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of long-term unemployed (details supplied) eligible for community employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41094/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine.

CE projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations and, to a lesser extent, public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities. Such projects provide a valuable service to local communities while at the same time providing training and educational opportunities to jobseekers. The Department’s priority in supporting CE is having access to schemes that can provide job seekers and other vulnerable groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support their progression into employment.

In general, CE placements for entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for one year. However, if a CE participant is working towards a major award, their time can be extended up to an additional 2 years to complete this award. Those aged 55 years and over can remain on CE for 3 consecutive years. Those aged 62 years and over can remain on CE up to State Pension age, subject to satisfactory performance on the scheme and to annual approval by the Department. The places allocated for these participants within each individual CE scheme are subject to limitation criteria.

The following table shows the number of long term unemployed people in the areas referred to who could potentially be eligible for CE placement. In determining eligibility regard is given to the duration of any previous participation on the programme which has a lifetime participation limit and eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

-Under 35From 36 - 55From 56 - 66
Both Male & Female - Potential Eligible272214

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