Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Social Protection, further to Parliamentary Question No. 253 of 12 July 2011, if she will make a statement on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [21444/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Qualified adult dependants, aged 25 and over, of eligible persons may avail of the spousal swap option. This involves the person exchanging his/her FÁS place with his/her dependant with the dependant inheriting the entitlements of the eligible person. Essentially, a person who is offered a position on a relevant FÁS scheme can choose not to avail of it and offer the opportunity instead to their qualified spouse/civil partner/cohabitant.

With respect to a placement on a community employment (CE) scheme, which I understand is involved in this case, the situation arises where a person in receipt of jobseeker's allowance is offered a CE place. They can choose not to take up the place by offering it to their dependant spouse/civil partner/cohabitant. They then become the dependant adult for the duration of the CE engagement.

As a result of this transfer of dependency status the original claimant becomes ineligible for jobseeker's allowance as a primary claimant.