Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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163. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a school (details supplied) would be entitled to any assistance from community employment schemes with regard to caretaking or small jobs within the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62819/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations and, to a lesser extent, public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities.

Schools are not permitted to sponsor CE schemes and CE participants cannot be employed by or work in schools as these services are funded directly by the Department of Education. This includes the provision of cleaners, caretaking/maintenance and other services to schools. As the Deputy may be aware, FAS who had responsibility for CE up until 2012, mainstreamed CE services that had previously been provided to schools. This change applied from 2001. As a result, the budget for services provided by schools-based CE schemes was transferred to the Department of Education and Skills.

My colleague, Minister Norma Foley T.D. has overall responsibility for the services and initiatives provided for schools by the Department of Education, including policy and funding.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.