Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question. Currently, there are 1,400 service support stream participants on CE schemes. There are 500 places available for people over the age of 62 on the schemes. Up to 10% of CE placements are available under the service support stream.

That limit is set on a divisional basis so there is also flexibility between schemes in a particular area. This is important to note. For those aged over 55 there are more flexible conditions regarding the time spent on the community employment scheme. It can be up to three years. Those on the scheme prior to 2017 can be on it for six continuous years. We have flexibility to facilitate people in the cohort the Deputy has spoken about to stay on the scheme that little bit longer. I would say that it is, by characteristic, a job activation scheme at its core.

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