Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which a person's eligibility to apply for the FÁS work placement is affected by a break in their period of unemployment by being employed for a few weeks; if they are then required in these circumstance to count from the date of recommenced unemployment in order to build up the three months unemployment required to apply under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4342/10]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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In order to participate on the Work Placement Programme participants must be unemployed. Unemployed individuals not in receipt of any social welfare payment can participate in the Programme immediately. However, unemployed individuals who are receiving social welfare payments and wish to retain these payments for their duration on the Work Placement Programme must be in receipt of these payments for a minimum of three months. The continued payment of social welfare entitlements is subject to the participant continuing to meet the other relevant social welfare payment criteria on an ongoing basis during their period on the Programme. In terms of the three-month qualifying period, time spent on FÁS training programmes and breaks of up to two weeks for short-term employment can be considered eligible as part of this qualifying period.