There are fears that Community Employment Schemes in areas like Kilrush and Ballyea will be severely cut due to new eligibility criteria being imposed.
There are currently 23 people on such a FAS programme in Kilrush and their term of employment runs for a number of years, however that’s now being reduced and 15 participants have told they will come off the scheme between now and January 31st.
Based in Kilrush Community Centre some participants help maintain parish buildings, work in Kilrush Community Hospital and are involved in other upgrade work of local facilities and structures.
Sponsor Gerry O’Malley says they provide an invaluable service to the Kilrush communityand if new participants aren’t found within eight weeks of the scheme starting again they will be left with the reduced number of eight.
He also expressed concern that finding new participants will also be hampered by the fact that those who do go on the scheme from social welfare, may not be able to claim afterwards as they may not have collected the required number of stamps from just 12 months on the Fas programme.
