Fine Gael TD for Mayo John O’Mahony has welcomed the commitment this week by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton,to honour CE Scheme grants that were awarded before budget measures were introduced.
“I strongly welcome the Minister’s decision to honour the original contracts of CE schemes that were agreed before budget cuts to the scheme, whereby the training and materials grant for community employment schemes is to be reduced from €1,500 to €500.
“I raised this issue in the Dáil because most of the money was spent or taken account of before the cuts were implemented on January 1. There was a risk that people would not be given the money that had been committed. There are 40 projects with approximately 850 participants in Mayo.
“Many schemes were signed up for towards the end of last year and will run until October or November 2012. I believe that contracts that have been entered into should be honoured.
“I am glad that the Minister has acknowledged the importance at a communal level of the CE schemes. Much of the intrinsic social value of this work goes unnoticed but it is crucially important at a community level, especially in social services such as child care, elderly care and drug treatment programmes,” he said.
