Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, 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 to improve their prospect of returning to employment.

Most recent changes to CE were emergency measures introduced to support CE schemes and participants over the course of the pandemic which resulted in CE participants staying on schemes longer, than would normally be permitted. CE participants, whose contracts were due to end during the periods of restrictions, have had their contracts extended on a number of occasions. Earlier this week, the Minister for Social Protection, Minister Humphreys, and I announced a further funding for contract extensions to 4th February 2022 for existing CE and Tús participants.

These final contract extensions will provide all participants with additional time to complete their training and benefit from work experience, which may have been adversely affected by public health restrictions.

The series of contract extensions introduced are exceptional supports and are temporary in nature; they will come to an end in 2022 as CE operations return to normal, post pandemic. Following the latest extension, a coordinated and phased exit schedule will commence in February, 2022 for all of the CE and Tús participants affected.

Other than the above, there have been no significant amendments to CE since 2017. However in March 2021 Minister Humphreys and I confirmed that certain CE participants, who were participating on CE when the 2017 changes had been introduced, would retain the option of remaining on CE for a maximum of six consecutive years, in accordance with the terms of a 2017 saver clause provided at that time.

In order to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants, CE will continue to be made available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, including those whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.

At the same time, the eligibility criteria for CE and the length of time persons can participate on CE is kept under active review by my Department officials to ensure the best outcomes for individual participants and to support the vital community services delivered by schemes.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.