James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

453. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an extension can be granted to a person (details supplied) on a community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5891/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Community Employment (CE) 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.

Throughout 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, including the extension of CE participant contracts.

It is standard practice that several months before a participant is due to leave a CE scheme, the Sponsor will advertise the vacancy on the JobsIreland.ie website. Eligibility checks for persons applying are carried out and referrals are made to the CE scheme by Case Officers and Local Employment Services Mediators. Sponsors can also advertise vacancies within their locality.

The person concerned commenced her CE placement on 04/12/2017. Under the current CE guidelines those entering CE on or after 03/07/2017 are permitted to remain on CE for a maximum of 3 years. Accordingly, the person concerned was due to complete her 3 years participation on 29/11/2020.

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, however, in order to ensure business continuity and minimal disruption in the administration of payroll to CE participants and CE supervisors, a special across the board extension was granted by my Department which extended the person’s end date on the scheme to 26/03/2021.

The upcoming vacancy is currently advertised on the JobsIreland.ie website and Department officials will work with the sponsoring authority to identify potential CE candidates for this vacancy.

My Department is committed to supporting the CE sponsoring authorities in the valuable services that they deliver across communities through these particularly challenging times.

I trust this clarifies the matter.