Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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267. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if all community employment schemes are run privately; if not, if they are run by the State; the person or body deemed to be the employer of the supervisors and assistant supervisors on individual community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4508/19]

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

CE schemes are typically sponsored by voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit the local community. As the employers, these sponsoring organisations contract with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, on an annual basis, to provide job seekers and other vulnerable groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support their progression into employment.

Participants and supervisors on CE schemes are employees of these organisation that receive public funding in the community and voluntary sector, and in some cases are in receipt of income generated from activities undertaken. They are not employees of my Department or public servants.

The Department funds the employment of the CE participants and supervisors and it also provides funding towards training and material costs.