Joe 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. 

CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of their supervisors, assistant supervisors and participants.  As a consequence,  is the responsibility of CE sponsoring authorities to ensure adherence to national public health guidelines during the ongoing COVID pandemic when determining the essential services that can continue to be delivered. 

Department officials have reminded CE sponsoring authorities, that as employers and service providers,  they need to fully comply and adhere to the public health guidelines relating to the ongoing Covid-19 emergency. 

Since the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020, the subsequent level-5 restrictions introduced in October, 2020 and more recently, the return to level 5 restrictions announced by Government in December, 2020, my Department has continued to provide the necessary funding for CE schemes while introducing other contingency measures to support CE schemes and participants.

Department officials have continued to liaise with CE sponsoring authorities throughout the ongoing Covid-19 emergency to arrange for CE participants who were due to finish on their respective CE schemes, to have their contracts extended while level-5 restrictions have been in place, unless a CE participant is taking up employment or reaches the State Pension age. 

It should be noted that where possible  in compliance with public health guidelines, a significant number of CE schemes continue to operate throughout the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.  In particular, those engaged in the provision of essential services within their communities including meals on wheels and home caring services continue to provide these services.

Department officials will continue to liaise with and support CE sponsoring authorities throughout the latest level-5 restrictions.