The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has asked the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, for an urgent meeting to discuss proposals to cut Community Employment by a further 4,500 places. It has also asked her to defer implementation of the cuts "pending detailed discussions with the social partners".
This afternoon various groups within the voluntary and community sector are to march to Ms Harney's office in Dublin to protest at the cuts, which they claim are in breach of Partnership 2000. The general secretary of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, Mr Mike Allen, who is one of the organisers of the march, said Ms Harney's "handling of the most recent cuts undermines this agreement and the trust that is necessary for partnership".
At a meeting on July 22nd, the Cabinet endorsed proposals to reduce the current level of CE places from 37,500 to 33,000. Since then there have been protests by local community and voluntary groups at the decision, including intensive lobbying of Government backbenchers.
Yesterday, in what appeared to be an attempt to defuse the situation, a spokesman for the Department said there was "no question of any reductions in numbers from 37,500 in 1999". He said any reductions would be part of the discussions on the estimates and would not take place before next year at the earliest.
The removal of eligibility for CE schemes for the under-25s, lone parents and those who had been on more than three schemes provoked particular anger from the voluntary and community sector. Again, the spokesman emphasised that nobody would be dropped from an existing scheme and that the implementation of new criteria must have regard to local conditions.
Yesterday the ICTU and the INOU called for a Government guarantee that funding would be maintained at the current level of 37,500 places and detailed discussions pending any changes. They also called for the 5,000 CE places which the Government plans to transfer from CE schemes to the "social economy" to be put in place before similar places are phased out.
While the Department spokesman said any changes in CE would be phased in on a gradual basis and with regard to long-term labour market strategies, Mr Allen said the controversy had done untold damage to morale in disadvantaged communities.