Press release
Ministers Humphreys and Joe O’Brien announce funding to support Community Employment Schemes
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State, Joe O’Brien TD, today announced once-off grants of €1,000 to support Community Employment Schemes across the country.
The funding will assist Community Employment (CE) sponsor organisations with the cost of purchasing materials.
The purpose of CE is two-fold;
Some 813 CE schemes deliver a wide range of key community services nationwide, particularly in disadvantaged urban and rural areas.
There are currently 19,274 participants on CE with an annual budget of over €350 million in 2024.
This measure is in addition to previous changes introduced by Minister Humphreys and Minister O’Brien last year.
"As Minister for both Social Protection and Rural and Community Development, I recognise the vital role that Community Employment schemes and their participants have in local communities right across the country.
"These schemes support a range of vital local services in areas such as childcare, meals on wheels, the maintenance and upkeep of local amenities and other vital work in our communities.
"I am delighted to announce that an additional once off grant of €1,000 is being made available to Community Employment sponsor organisations towards their materials costs. The Government is deeply conscious of the impact of rising costs on community groups across the country. That is why we are providing this additional support today. I know that this additional support will help alleviate concerns of many Community Employment sponsors.
"I’m from a rural community myself and I have always been a passionate believer in the benefits of programmes like CE both for participants and for communities.”
"This additional once off grant of €1,000 towards material costs and the improvements to CE eligibility demonstrate Government’s commitment to the ongoing support of CE and to the valuable services that they deliver for communities, as well as the continued valuable work experience and training opportunities they provide to the long term unemployed. Participants on CE, work part time to provide essential services to local communities.”
Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programmes designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged people with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
The CE sponsoring authorities employ participants to deliver a range of services to local communities throughout the country. As well as contributing to the delivery of local services, CE participants develop a range of occupational skills and work experience that help to improve their own prospects of securing full-time employment.
The types of work CE participants are involved in include local amenities management, environmental projects, arts and culture, sports, childcare, Tidy Towns, health-related services, meals on wheels and drug rehabilitation schemes.