Written answers

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Community Employment Schemes

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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560. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that changes introduced in 2016 in relation to length of service on community employment schemes are being applied retrospectively to those that commenced under the previous regime; if her attention has been further drawn to the difficulty this is causing to community employment scheme participants that were of the view that the terms they signed up to would continue to pertain; if those that commenced on schemes prior to June 2016 can continue on the schemes for six years in view of the current economic downturn and the value of community employment schemes to local communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36185/20]

Photo of Joe O'BrienJoe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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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.

A number of new conditions were introduced to the CE Scheme in July 2017 to further support progression to employment, broaden CE access to a wider range of people and to standardise the conditions relating to the length of time a CE participant can remain on a CE scheme.

In general CE placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for one year.  CE participants who are working towards a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) major award can seek to extend their participation on CE by up to two years to enable them to reach the required standard of qualification. CE participants aged 55 years or older can remain on CE for three years and do not have to work towards a QQI major award.

In either scenario, a maximum of three consecutive year's participation on CE is permissible.  A person may re-qualify for CE after a twelve month break once they satisfy the qualifying conditions.  An overall lifetime limit of six years applies to all CE participants (seven years for those on a disability payment).

Prior to 2017, there were two available options for participating on CE.  Both options commenced with one year of participation with the possibility of either one or two more years, depending on the option taken.  Both options were subject to qualification criteria and neither required the CE participant to undertake any training resulting in the achievement of a major award.

In 2017 the new conditions and qualifying criteria were introduced and a saver clause was provided for the existing clients:

‘Participants who commenced on CE prior to 3rd July 2017 will be entitled to remain under their existing CE eligibility rules, where this is to their advantage.  If it is more advantageous to the person, the current criteria can be applied.’

The saver clause that was introduced allowed CE participants who commenced under that option to continue on CE for a maximum of three consecutive years with or without working towards a QQI major award, whichever was more advantageous. The 2017 saver clause does not allow those affected to continue to participate on CE for six years consecutively. 

The same continuous limitation of three years continues to apply to all CE participants both pre and post 2017.  CE participation was never intended to be long-term and the maximum continued participation on CE is three years.

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 made 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 understand that CE participants may wish to remain on a CE scheme for longer than the permissible time, the Deputy will appreciate that such extensions would have a detrimental effect on other long-term unemployed candidates wishing to avail of the opportunities afforded by CE.

I am fully committed to the future of CE and will continue to support and improve CE for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.

Comments

Pauline Grogan
Posted on 19 Nov 2020 5:58 pm (Report this comment)

Joe O’Brien TD, you really should question the validity of the information that you are being provided to reply to questions. The Civil Servant that gave you that information is making you look foolish.

YOU STATED

"While I understand that CE participants may wish to remain on a CE scheme for longer than the permissible time, the Deputy will appreciate that such extensions would have a Detrimental Effect on other long-term unemployed candidates wishing to avail of the opportunities afforded by CE."

As Trump would say this statement is FAKE NEWS. There are no queues of people waiting to step into CE positions. Hundreds of projects are struggling to recruit and a big number are on the verge of closing because there are no referrals from the DEASP or Local Employment Services.

So Joe next time you are asked to answer a question, make sure you do a FACT CHECK on the information that the Civil Servants are feeding you. Do you know the Meals on Wheels in you constituency is struggling to provide a vital service because they don’t have enough participants.

If you doubt what I am telling you, pick up the phone and contact a few of the Community Employment projects in your constituency, before you allow yourself to be put in that situation again.

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