Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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254. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the reform to community employment schemes in which an existing participant can remain in place until an replacement is found will be implemented before 4 February 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2720/22]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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256. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if community employment participants can remain in their positions if suitable candidates have not been found to replace them (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2735/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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258. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will report on criteria that must be met to enable community employment scheme participants to remain on a scheme beyond their allotted time in which replacement participants cannot be found; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2835/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 256 and 258 together.

As the Deputies are aware, 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.  

During the COVID pandemic the Minister for Social Protection and I extended CE participants contracts on a number of occasions. These contract extensions which are in place since October 2020, supported CE schemes at various stages of the pandemic so that they could maintain important community services. These contract extensions also ensured that participants had sufficient time to fully avail of the work experience and training opportunities affected by public health restrictions. The latest contract extensions are due to start to come to an end in February 2022 and will be phased out in a co-ordinated manner over the following twelve months.

In light of the ongoing COVID related challenges faced by CE schemes Minister Humphreys and I announced a number of changes to CE and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) on the 21st December 2021.

As part of these changes and to assist with the transition from COVID emergency supports over the next period, participants, including those with extended contracts, may not be required to leave CE, where a suitable replacement has not yet been referred to the scheme. This transitionary provision will support schemes to retain services, with the higher-than-normal turnover of participants in 2022 and is effective from 1st January 2022.

Any extension under this provision must be approved by officials from the Department and consideration will be given to the impact of COVID on the recruitment of participants, the type of service provided by the placement along with recruitment and referral efforts.

Officials from my Department will continue to work with and support all CE schemes throughout the transitionary period as the extended contracts come to an end.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.