Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when and by whom a decision was taken and confirmed in writing to the effect that claimants on deserted wife's benefit either before or after August 1992 were not eligible for community employment or job initiative schemes while claiming this benefit. [16314/04]

Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Persons in receipt of the deserted wife's benefit for one year or longer, and who are 25 years of age or older, are currently eligible to participate in community employment, CE.

Eligibility for job initiative, JI, is confined to unemployed persons 35 years of age or older, in receipt of an unemployment payment or one parent family payment for a minimum of five years. Spouses of unemployed persons may also qualify. Persons in receipt of the deserted wife's benefit may change over to the one parent family payment in order to become eligible to participate in this programme.

Any long-term unemployed person who wishes to apply for a place on CE or JI should contact their local FÁS office as it is a matter for FÁS to determine the eligibility of individuals who wish to participate in these programmes. The future structure of the JI and CE programmes is currently under review by a group of senior officials and FÁS, and this group will report to Ministers on the outcome of their deliberations shortly. Decisions on any future adjustments in the structure and the terms and conditions of participation on these programmes will be taken when the review process has been brought to a conclusion.