Joe McHugh urges the government to apply common sense with community employment scheme

            DAIL QUESTION

                                                                                                      NO.    99              

To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the length of time criteria for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who was made redundant on 31 December 2008 and is willing to participate in a community employment scheme in June 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

- Joe McHugh.

*    For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 23rd June, 2009.

Ref No:   25051/09     Proof:   469

R E P L Y

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms. Coughlan)

Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis.  CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to assist them to enhance/develop both their technical and personal skills.

The criteria for participating on the Community Employment programme are based on age and length of time in receipt of various social welfare payments.  In general, the Part-time Integration Option is for people of 25 or over who are receiving social welfare payments for 1 year or more, and people of 18 years or over in receipt of disability-related payments. The Part-time Job Option is for people who are 35 or over and in receipt of social welfare payments for 3 years or longer.

Certain groups such as travellers and refugees aged 18 or over are eligible for both options. If a person qualifies under the criteria but does not wish to take up the option themselves, there are certain conditions under which a spousal swap can take place.

The maximum duration that individuals can remain on CE is dependent on the participant’ eligibility status. Typically, participants can avail of periods of between 1 and 6 years.

To cater for older workers in particular, in November 2004 the standard 3 year CE cap was revised to allow those of 55 years of age and over to avail of a 6-year period on CE (based on participation since 3rd April 2000).  Subsequently, the participation limit for persons eligible for CE based on a Social Welfare disability linked payment (including those under 55) was increased by 1 year. These measures were introduced in recognition of the fact that older participants and participants with a disability may find it more difficult to progress into the open labour market.

Further information on the Community Employment Programme is available from the FÁS website www.fás.ie.