I return to a subject we have previously discussed, namely, community employment, CE, schemes. We know the value of the CE schemes and the difference they make. The system should be there to suit the individual participant and the community where it is based. However, it is not the case. Some CE schemes are struggling due to several issues.

The Department assessment is based solely on eligibility, not on suitability. People who are destined to fail are being put on CE schemes. It is also delaying the completion process of the particular course, given that people are joining schemes for which they are not ready. Insurance costs for CE have rocketed from €50 to €150 per participant. This increase must be met out of existing budgets which are already very stretched and which also include material and programme grants.

CE is being measured as a labour activation programme, which it is. However, it is much more than that, and the measurements are not taking it into account, for example, progression routes and the services CE schemes are providing.

People aged 18 to 21 who are unemployed and not in education or training cannot avail of CE schemes. They are a strong target group which should be joining CE schemes to avail of education and training. The double payment is gone, and there is a need to incentivise lone parents to join CE schemes, particularly those that offer training in child care. As well as earning a FETAC level 5 qualification for themselves, participants boost their own parenting skills and personal development. The €20 extra is not enough. It does not cover the travel costs for some participants. It is costing them more. These are people in receipt of basic social welfare payments. There are communities which depend on the services provided by CE, especially child care. If there is a problem with CE, there will be a problem with the child care service. If child care services go from communities of great need, it will be very costly in the long run.

CE has also been positive in terms of integration of new communities and Traveller communities. Although the system should be facilitating the participants and communities, it is not keeping up with the reality. The rules are very stringent. CE works when there is flexibility, particularly flexibility in those areas of great need. The Minister has met representatives of CE schemes and had very frank and open discussions with them. There is a need to meet again and resolve the issues which prevent CE schemes from continuing and doing the work they can do.

Hear, hear.

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate what she said regarding the importance of the services that CE schemes deliver throughout the country. There are more than 1,000 CE schemes and more than 22,000 people participate in schemes. They make an enormous contribution to their local communities and provide a range of services, including helping with services for older and retired people, after-school clubs and sporting organisations, especially the GAA and soccer clubs, to maintain local sport services and a range of local community services.

I am aware there have been issues with rising insurance costs across the board. My Department is very aware of it and is working on it. When the CE schemes came under the Department of Social Protection, some of the schemes were paying very high insurance rates. The Department negotiated deals to reduce the cost of insurance. There have been demands for increased insurance charges and we are working to address them. I will come back to the Deputy about it. I am waiting for a number of officials to finalise some improvements in it.

Participants in CE schemes will see a small increase in the allowance of €2.50 per week from 1 January. Participants in receipt of a fuel allowance will also receive an increase in their fuel allowance of €2.50 per week from 1 January.

Big deal.

While I appreciate these are small amounts, it has been the first significant improvement. As well as emphasising improvements for older and retired people over 66, I have made a point of ensuring all participants in any schemes will receive an increase in their total social welfare payments from 1 January.

I raised very specific issues and they need very specific answers. I draw the Minister's attention to an issue that is common to CE schemes and the designated places for people in rehabilitation. It is the role of the CE supervisor in areas of great need. These supervisors are seeing people who are presenting with much more complex needs than in the past, who have barely enough to live on and who are in receipt of the basic social welfare payment. They are dealing with women and families who are coming from homeless and emergency accommodation. Some are coming to CE with care plans. They are working with the children of those in addiction, who have more and greater needs. They are seeing women who are hungry, and CE schemes are providing breakfast and lunch out of their materials and programmes budgets. They are seeing increasing levels of poverty.

The role of the CE supervisor is much more demanding. It is much more than an administrative role. Discussions are taking place in the national drug rehabilitation implementation committee, NDRIC, between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Health. NDRIC sees CE as part of a point of rehabilitation in community care for some of the participants. However, it is not being supported in the way NDRIC sees it should be. The supervisors are case managing and key working, and they need more training in those areas, not in payroll or administration, in which they are already proficient. Some of the supervisors I met are being innovative and some of the schemes have devised new programmes. For example the Seasamhact Abaltacht Obair Leann, SAOL, Project has initiated Reduce the Use. They are also involved in restorative practice. Another amazing programme is the capacitor programme, which we could consider rolling out into many youth projects.

CE programmes could do with better staff ratios and more rehab places, yet despite all the barriers and difficulties they are doing amazing work in these areas of great need. However, given the stringency of the rules and regulations, the system is not keeping up with the reality of the people and communities who are in great need of CE. I ask the Tánaiste to examine the role of the supervisor.

Hear, hear.

The Deputy refers to particular schemes that are involved with the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Health. After I became Minister, I provided for 1,000 ring-fenced places in schemes which cater for and assist people who are in rehabilitation from drugs. These places continue to exist. Over recent years as demand for such services has spread out more widely throughout the country, we have initiated further schemes or parts of schemes in places such as Waterford and Wexford to help people there who have issues.

People who go into rehabilitation need to be able to progress themselves by getting back into education or employment or by getting the kind of experience that is provided through the community employment scheme. We have maintained all of that intact. As a result of the discussions that have taken place with the relevant groups, some of which have not involved the Department of Social Protection, a broad framework agreement on the next steps has almost been completed. I am aware that the Departments of Health and Justice and Equality and, in particular, the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, are strongly committed to this. I anticipate that we will be able to announce that agreement in the not too distant future. We have continued to fund community employment in this way. I assure the Deputy that we will continue to do so because it is an important pathway to sustained recovery for many people who have experienced drugs and addiction issues.

I would like to respond to the Deputy's earlier point about how people are selected for community employment courses. I suggest that if she has some specific examples, I will take them back to the Department. We have opened community employment up to younger people and we are also opening it up to older people. As people get back to work in Ireland and as this country starts to work back to full employment, two groups of people may continue to have the difficulties they have at present. In the first case, which relates to younger people under the age of 25, we are building up apprenticeships and First Steps programmes to help them to identify career plans. In the second case, which relates to older people who may have lost their jobs or taken early retirement deals, we are conscious that such people would be delighted to be involved in and contribute to their local communities through community employment. We should avail of the experience, wisdom and community caring that older people so often provide in a community employment context.

They cannot get places.

In addition, community employment is one of the avenues that can be used to give opportunities to younger people. We have opened up Tús to self-referral. Some 20% of Tús placements can now be made by people applying and putting themselves forward. Like the community employment scheme, Tús has proved to be very popular throughout the country. As we have been saying about community employment, Tús does some very valuable work. If the Deputy knows people who might like to be involved in community employment but have not got one of their choices, she should remind them to look at the Tús openings that may be available in their local areas. We are providing for self-referral. Tús has done an enormous volume of work in towns, villages and areas right around the country. Those involved have worked on simple things like tidy towns, which are so important for neighbourhoods. They have done very valuable work in the community. For example, they have worked with older people on home repairs that may be required. If the Deputy sends any specific details to me, I will be happy to go through them in detail.

There go another few icebergs.