No to Kilkee on FÁS scheme request

TUESDAY’S Kilrush Electoral Area December meeting heard that Kilkee will not have a FÁS scheme of its own for the foreseeable future. Mayor of Kilkee Claire Haugh, who along with the Mayor of Kilrush can attend these meetings, forwarded a motion asking that the FÁS scheme be restored to Kilkee in 2013 and if it is not restored “that clear reasons be given as to why not and why Kilkee is being treated differently to other towns in this regard”.

“Clare is presently served by 31 Community Employment Schemes. These schemes are subject to budget considerations and there is no budget available to provide an additional scheme at this time,” Mary Moloney, area manager for Clare with Department of Social Protection, explained in a written reply.

“Any change to this would impact on existing scheme provision in the county. At present, there are 13 places allocated in the Kilkee area and its environs. These places are administered by three local Community Employment Programmes, Kilrush Youth Centre Services Ltd, Doonbeg Community Development Ltd and Kilrush Amenity Trust Ltd. These programmes have sub sponsors from the Kilkee area who liase with the Community Employment Programme regarding work plans.

There are a number of towns in the county, which do not have  their own Community Employment Schemes,” Ms Moloney added.

The matter was also raised at the November meeting of Kilkee Town Council.

“It’s quite disturbing what towns and villages a third of the size of us has in terms of FÁS schemes. It’s having a huge impact on this town,” Councillor Lily Marrinan Sullivan commented at the Kilkee Town Council meeting.

“I would like if we could follow up with a letter to our local councillors and local TDs. We’ve been pursuing this now with three years,” she added.