John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to increase the numbers participating in drug rehabilitation community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53327/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) aims to help the long-term unemployed to re-enter the workforce by breaking their cycle of unemployment through a return to a regular work routine and through the provision of training and development.

The Department continues to support the objectives of the national drugs strategy “Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery” 2017-2025 with focused services for the labour market re-integration of people recovering from substance misuse. Primary amongst these is the CE Programme with an allocation of 1,000 dedicated ring-fenced drug rehabilitation places.

At the end of November 2018, there were 47 dedicated drug rehabilitation CE schemes nationally. A total of 980 participants were placed in drug rehabilitation places on CE (875 in the dedicated ring-fenced drug rehabilitation schemes and 105 in the drug rehabilitation placements in CE mainstream schemes).

I can assure the Deputy that my Department keeps schemes under constant review to ensure positive and appropriate engagement with clients.