Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1044. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on providing funding for additional activation officers to assist organisations in recruiting for community employment programme employees during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15938/21]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1045. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the process by which activation officers for the community employment programme are searching for and recruiting eligible persons to participate in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15939/21]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1046. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way activation officers for the community employment programme match eligible persons in their area of responsibility with the relevant organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15940/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1044 to 1046, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy is aware, 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.

The Department provides Public Employment Services (PES) which offer support and advice to people seeking employment.  The PES provides jobseekers with various supports during an  activation process which can include referrals to education or training, employment support schemes and other supports to help them back into employment.   The primary focus is on providing the necessary supports to the jobseeker to support them back to work.  CE provides an essential support in enhancing the employability of disadvantaged and long term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities in providing services in local communities.

One of the measures introduced in the July Jobs Stimulus announced by the Government last July, in response to the impact of the pandemic and resultant public health restrictions on the labour market and the economy,  was to increase the capacity of the PES in Intreo Offices and through contracted services to further support jobseekers through job search advice and assistance.  The capacity of Intreo Centres is being increased, with the assignment of an additional 100 staff. Recruitment for these posts is almost complete, with  an additional 85 of these staff now in place in these new roles. In addition my Department is currently preparing procurement exercises for contracted employment services. The first phase will be the provision of employment services in some areas not currently served by a Local Employment Service (LES) contractor and the second phase will be to procure new contracted  services from 2022.

These additional resources will be central to meeting the increased demand for services, including recruitment to existing employment support schemes, post COVID, given the impact of the resultant public health restrictions on employment in some sectors of the economy.

CE sponsoring authorities are encouraged by my Department officials to promote awareness of the benefits of CE in their local communities and when advertising vacancies.  They can advertise their vacancies on www.jobsireland.ie, the Department’s online job advertising and recruitment service for job candidates and employers, including CE sponsors.

Jobseekers are advised that they can register their interest through this website or by contacting a case officer in their local Intreo Centre who will determine their eligibility for the CE scheme. The facility to register interest in CE schemes was introduced on the website in August 2020 in response to the Covid 19 pandemic and details of those who have registered interest are distributed daily to the relevant Intreo Centre for follow up by a case officer directly with the jobseeker.

In addition to the expressions of interest received via JobsIreland.ie, Department case officers can also match CE vacancies from the website with potential CE candidates to identify possible referral and placement opportunities for long term unemployed jobseekers.  Department case officers also use the system to review current CE vacancies to identify potential CE placements. Referrals to CE have continued throughout the current level 5 restrictions where it is safe and appropriate to do so. 

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1049. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons employed in the community employment programme in County Cork in each of the years 2015 to 2020, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15943/21]

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.

The information sought by the Deputy is set out beneath.

* Breakdown of participant and supervisor figures not available.

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

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1050. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the absolute and relative number of persons who have successfully entered employment after participating in the community employment programme in each of the years 2015 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15944/21]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1051. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the absolute and relative number of persons who have returned to social protection payments after participating in the community employment programme in each of the years 2015 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15945/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1050 and 1051 together.

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.

The table below identifies those individuals who have successfully entered employment and those that have returned to a social protection payment having ended their participation on CE between 2015 and 2019.  The figures for 2020 will be available in the coming period.