Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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On clarification with the Deputy’s office, the question relates to plans to change the eligibility criteria for CE by reducing the period a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and potentially increasing the lifetime limits.

The aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities. The programme aims to improve a person’s opportunities to return to the labour market.

CE placements are intended to be temporary and subject to time limits. This is to ensure the continued availability of places on CE schemes for a broad range of long-term unemployed candidates. Those who are unemployed and in receipt of an eligible payment for 12 months or more may be eligible to participate on CE.

In general, all CE placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for one year. However, CE participants, working towards a major educational award, can seek to extend participation by up to two years to enable them to reach the required qualification standards.

Those over 55 years of age can remain on CE for up to three years, while CE participants who are aged over 55 and commenced on CE prior to the introduction of the changes in 2017 continue to be eligible to stay on CE for six consecutive years.

CE participants over the age of 62 can participate on a continuous basis up to the State Pension age on the CE Service Support Stream (SSS), subject to certain criteria. In total, 10% of CE placements are available under the service support stream and Department officials continue to encourage CE schemes to promote this facility.

There are no plans at present to amend the eligibility criteria as suggested by the Deputy; any reduction in the eligibility period would reduce the number of employment support places available for persons who are facing the greatest difficulty in returning to employment, namely the long-term unemployed.

I 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 while ensuring that places continue to be made available to those who are long term unemployed.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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494. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of plans for local employment schemes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45972/21]

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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495. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a local service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45975/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 495 together.

My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of employment services.

The funding approach for the new service awards approximately ninety percent of fees to providers when clients commence their engagement and agree their personal progression plan. The latter requires a tailored approach for each client and can contain progression towards employment, which may involve participation on relevant education, training or other programmes.

Phase two will take on board the learnings of the first phase and apply these to subsequent Requests for Tenders that will expand this model throughout the rest of the State, including County Kerry. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.

The Department is in receipt of legal advice from the Attorney General's office that it must procure its employment services in an open and competitive manner in order to meet its legal obligations arising from EU and national procurement rules.

I understand and appreciate the concerns in the sector at the changes to the Local Employment Service model. However, existing service providers with a strong track record and a willingness to cooperate with others in the sector, will be well-placed to submit high-quality tenders for the new services. The new model and its associated procurement process is accessible to the community and voluntary sectors, including through lower financial requirements and a significant emphasis on service quality. Phase two will take on board the learnings from the phase one procurement.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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496. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the provision of a pension scheme for community employment supervisors. [45978/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors.

This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not the employer of the supervisors.

Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this complex issue, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Department officials also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.

At the start of April, agreement was reached with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. These proposals include a financial package.

I am confident these proposals are a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue. Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. The unions have made a number of observations, and these are currently being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other relevant Government Departments.

My officials are continuing to progress this matter as a priority, and I would hope that these discussions can reach a conclusion in the near future.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.