Madam, – As someone completing her doctoral studies in the community/voluntary sector, researching the views of Community Employment scheme participants about their careers, I read with concern about Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív’s recent proposals (Home News, August 30th).
I have no doubt the proposition is well-intentioned, but when subject to scrutiny, it presents as a poorly considered set of suggestions, lacking in detail and depth. In particular, I raise the following questions: Who will be targeted? Will the 10,000 pioneers be chosen on the basis of personal characteristics, educational background, socio-economic status, geographical region, age or length of time spent as a welfare recipient? Could the selection criteria be open to claims of discrimination or the phenomenon of “creaming off”, whereby people with the “best prospects” are specifically recruited? What type of work will the participants perform? The initial idea of providing childcare services, working with sports clubs and engaging in environmental tasks needs to be greatly expanded to take account of the enormous pool of talent that the 452,500 people on the Live Register possess. If the rationale is for the person to maintain their skills, then there are many claimants who would not benefit from performing such tasks.
When will welfare recipients become entitled to partake of the scheme? Will the eligibility conditions be 12 months unemployed, as for those availing of Community Employment, or similar to the prerequisites attaching to Labour Market Activation funded courses, where applicants only need to be registered for Job Seekers’ Allowance for three months? Where will the claimants be located? Given the significant reduction in funding faced by the community/voluntary sector, what resources will be provided for supervising the work, monitoring progress, supplying suitable equipment and facilities, providing appropriate training and ensuring that health and safety standards, particularly child protection requirements, are complied with?
Why will the participants be omitted from the Live Register? According to the Minister, they are contributing to their local communities while simultaneously claiming their welfare benefits. The participants, therefore, should still be incorporated into the Live Register figure, as this measure includes part-time workers (those who work up to three days a week), as well as seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseekers’ Benefit or Allowance.
How does this initiative dovetail with the overall labour market policy, particularly Community Employment? For example, the proposal of a €210 weekly remuneration appears to be less than the dual payment that a Community Employment scheme participant receives, retaining both his/her welfare benefit and receiving recompense for engaging on such a scheme.
These proposals definitely require further deliberation and debate. – Yours, etc,