Low pay is 'abuse' on Laois CE schemes
Grass cutting on The Green in Timahoe village is done by a CE scheme worker, whose term is due to end in January according to a local councillor. File image
THE low rate of pay on community employment (CE) schemes was condemned as “abuse” at a Laois council meeting.
Councillors also raised concern that a decrease in the numbers employed on such schemes could have a disastrous impact on community projects, sports clubs and other amenities across the county.
With CE scheme workers nationwide earning just €27.50 a week for almost 20 hours’ work, councillors likened conditions on such schemes to slave labour.
Cllr Aidan Mullins remarked: “Who would do 20 hours’ work for €27? It is abuse.”
The issue arose when Cllr Paschal McEvoy asked the council to take over grass cutting on The Green in Timahoe village from January 2025, when the current CE scheme worker’s term will end.
“It’s a big green and it has to be cut. It would be a shame to let it go to rack and ruin,” Cllr McEvoy told the December meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District.
Senior engineer Philip McVeigh replied that the county council would ‘liaise with the local community employment scheme, as well as the Timahoe Village Group, to explore whether they are in a position to carry out this work’.
Independent Cllr Ben Brennan said the situation was “ridiculous”, as he pointed out that he was a supervisor on a local CE scheme. He said that he had received a letter from the Department of Social Protection (DSP), informing him that the number of people on the scheme would be cut from 17 to 14.
He said: “They are saying that it’s because no one is unemployed now and they can’t get people but these schemes are still needed. It looks like they are trying to phase out the schemes but so many areas will fall down if that happens, because of all the work they do in communities and sports clubs.”
Cllr Brennan added that many people worked on the schemes because they wanted to do something for their own communities, despite the fact that they received only €27 a week for 20 hours.
He said: “The DSP needs to step up to the mark now, because it is not just Timahoe but many other areas that will suffer.”
Cllr Mullins noted that €27 for 20 hours was just over €1 an hour, so it was no wonder the DSP couldn’t get people. He said: “It’s a CE scheme that looks after the People’s Park in Portarlington and so much work is done by schemes in other areas but who would do 20 hours for €27? It is abuse.”
Cllr Brennan agreed and said: “It’s slave labour, that’s what it is.”
The national community employment (CE) programme aims to help long-term unemployed people to get back to work, by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based in local communities. People can take up other part-time work during their CE placement.
The payment is €27.50 for 19.5 hours' work, in addition to the person’s usual social welfare payment, with a minimum total payment of €271.50 per week.
