Community Employment (CE)

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The primary purpose of CE is as a transitional programme to reintegrate the long-term unemployed into open labour market jobs. CE is the largest active labour market intervention, and gives long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged persons an opportunity to acquire training and work experience through part-time employment on community projects. Employment is provided on a wide range of projects, which are sponsored by communities. FÁS provide funding for a full-time supervisor and the participants’ payments. A year is the norm for CE participants but this can be extended.

CE is designed to provide temporary rather than ongoing opportunities for persons 25 years of age or over, unemployed for a minimum of 12 months and in receipt of any of the following payments:

• Unemployment Assistance (UA)
• Unemployment Benefit (UB)
• Qualified Adults
• One Parent Family Payment
• Deserted Wives Benefit
• Widows/Widowers pension
• Persons previously in receipt of the Carers Allowance for the requisite period, or persons with a disability may also qualify

{Persons signing for credits are not eligible to participate in CE}

Participants work for an average of 19.5 hours per week and are free to engage in other forms of paid employment outside of CE.

Within the context of the overall number of places available on CE, FÁS has operational responsibility for the delivery of the CE programme, including project selection and appraisal and the allocation of places /granting of extensions. Queries regarding these matters should be addressed to FÁS headquarters 27/33 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4 +353 (1) 6070500 or your local FÁS office. Further information can also be obtained from the FÁS website.