Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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559. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an extension of employment will be facilitated for participants in community employment schemes in which sponsors are anxious that they continue particularly in the current circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25553/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.

In general, the period of participation on CE is for one year. However, CE participants who are working towards a major award or industry qualification can seek to extend participation by up to a further two years. A significant number of CE participants each year avail of an extension in order to continue training and to obtain qualifications and major awards.

During the recent Covid-19 emergency, my Department continued to provide the necessary funding for CE schemes while also introducing a number of contingency measures. These measures included the extension of all existing CE participant contracts for the duration of the emergency allowing many CE schemes and their CE participants to continue to deliver a range of services to the community.

In keeping with the “Government’s Return to Work Safely Protocol”, the recruitment of new CE participants by CE sponsoring bodies recommenced in early July. Those CE participants who had their contracts extended during the emergency period have been finishing up on their CE schemes on a phased basis over recent months.

The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. Places on these work programmes will continue to be available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme.

While I appreciate that sponsoring bodies may wish to have participants’ time on a CE scheme extended, the Deputy will appreciate that further extensions would have a detrimental effect on other long-term unemployed candidates wishing to avail of the opportunities afforded by CE.

Recruitment to employment on CE is recognised as a priority objective for my Department. Where vacancies have arisen on CE schemes, eligible candidates will continue to be identified by Department case officers who will then refer them to the relevant CE scheme where it is considered to be a suitable activation measure for the jobseeker.

CE sponsoring bodies are also encouraged by Department officials to promote awareness of the benefits of CE in their local communities, ensuring that CE vacancies are well publicised. They can advertise their vacancies free of charge on the Department's JobsIreland website www.jobsireland.ie.