Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 691: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in community employment schemes nationally, and of those the breakdown of social welfare payments and benefits category by category; if he will confirm that those CE participants in receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance are not entitled to claim CE payments, whereas all other category of social welfare recipient effectively obtains a double payment under community employment; the cost of this double payment; the reason unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit recipients are not treated the same as other groups within the social welfare code; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48522/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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There were 23,068 persons participating on community employment schemes (of whom 1,416 are supervisors) on 6th December, 2010. The breakdown by eligibility is as follows:

Persons meeting the scheme criteria and in receipt of the requisite duration of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance are entitled to participate on CE. Jobseeker clients swap their main and dependants payments entirely over to CE. Participant wages grants as of 1st January 2011, are as follows:

In relation to 'double payments', only specific categories of social welfare recipient continue to receive all or part of such payments while participating on CE, these categories are lone parents and persons with a disability. Persons in receipt of disability-related payments only receive the CE single adult rate from FÁS as well as their main social welfare payment, which is partially or fully retained, and covers any dependants they may have. Lone parents retain most of their social welfare payment as well as receiving the CE single adult rate plus any relevant child dependant allowances from FÁS (See table below)

Table

Note. Lone Parent additional costs include 1 dependant only. All other categories have no dependants included.

All above costs are estimated as they are subject to means assessment.

Additional costs based on Budget 2011.