Republican News · Thursday 7 November 2002

ó Caoláin slams government plan to cut 13,000 CE places

Caoimhghín ó Caoláin has expressed anger over government plans to cut 13,000 Community Employment places. Responding to the revelation, in a leaked internal memo prepared by FáS, that the government is set to cut 13,000 community employment places by the end of the year, the Sinn Féin TD criticised the government for breaching the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

"These schemes have a much greater value than simply providing employment for those involved," he said. "They play an important role in the provision of badly needed services to local communities and in giving many people an opportunity to make the transition from welfare to work.

"These cuts will have devastating effects on the most marginalised communities. Those who will suffer will be the long term unemployed, lone parents, the disabled and local communities which rely on the services provided by the various community and voluntary organisations depending on the CE programme for financing.

"If this government proceeds with this plan, it will make a mockery of the concept of social partnership. It will undermine any attempt at agreement over a new national pay deal.

"Until a specific scheme is developed to fund the services currently being provided by the community and voluntary sector through the CE schemes, I would urge the government to reverse this decision and to honour the PPF commitment to 28,000 CE places. I have raised this with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney a number of times in the past 18 months, and again this week."

ó Caoláin also raised the CE cuts with the Taoiseach in the Dáil on Tuesday.