CE projects need reform, not 'slash and burn' cuts

10 May 2002

Cuts in CE project participants, which go far beyond the minimum agreed in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, were severely criticised today, Friday May 10, by Eric Conroy, general secretary of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed.

Speaking at a rally outside the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in Kildare Street, Dublin, Mr Conroy said: ‘In addition to hitting many valuable projects and reducing the chances of many people going from welfare to work, the most shocking thing about these cuts in Community Employment schemes is that there has been no consultation by the government with its social partners, These cuts go well beyond the 28,000 minimum agreed in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and therefore one would have expected some advance notice, discussion and consultation.

‘The INOU would welcome an open debate about the value and purpose of Community Employment schemes, which are the main labour market programme in the state. The INOU has for many years, called for reform of CE projects – training for those on Community Employment is inadequate and for many Community Employment is not the best way to progress from welfare to work. But despite the inadequacies of Community Employment, this is no way to progress: a slash and burn exercise that will leave many CE project participants on the live register. Those who are currently long-term unemployed are people with the greatest personal need – many have literacy problems, many come from families that have known nothing but unemployment for generations. What is needed now is more investment or better use of investment – axing funds with the slash of an accountant’s pen is not the answer.

‘The government is to be congratulated for its efforts in reducing long term unemployment and the INOU salute the government’s achievements. But the figures used by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are based on the narrowest possible definition of what it is to be long-term unemployed. While 20,000 people fit into this narrow definition – there is twice that number of people – 40,000 – who have been signing on the Live Register for over a year.
‘In addition, CE projects benefit a wide range of people who do not come under the narrow definition of long term unemployed: single parents, disabled people, ex-prisoners, former drug addicts and Travellers are all involved in community employment projects because of their personal circumstances and the discrimination against them.

‘It is a fact minister: more than a quarter of those on Community Employment projects today are single parents.
‘It is a fact minister: that disabled people suffer an unemployment rate of 80 per cent. Indeed, for many disabled people employment on a CE scheme is the only employment they have ever known.

‘This slash and burn reduction of 20 per cent of CE project workers makes no practical sense. Because of these cuts, many Community Employment projects will no longer be viable. As a result, services to the elderly, services to homeless people, services to the disabled, services to the unemployed and the marginalised will be lost.

‘If a multinational company had announced that 4,000 jobs were to be lost by the end of the year, An Tánaiste would have been quick to throw herself in the media spotlight to show us how much she was doing to rescue these jobs or to provide alternative employment. But because it is SHE who is making these cuts, Mary Harney has made no public pronouncements.
‘The INOU now calls on the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment to make the following public declarations:
·One: Please explain the reasons for these cuts.
·Two: Please explain why you are targetting the long term unemployed, single parents, the disabled and those who rely on CE schemes for valuable and essential services that are not otherwise being provided by the state
·And Three: Please reverse this decision and stop these cuts until full consultation has taken place with the social partners so that CE projects can best be reformed to best assist the long-term unemployed and others on welfare find their full place in the workforce.’