Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review the criteria for entry to a scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12143/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The criteria for participating on the Community Employment (CE) programme are based on age and length of time in receipt of various social welfare payments. The core eligibility criterion for CE is that the person is in receipt of a qualifying Social Welfare payment, as defined on the Department's public website. This requirement is based on Government policy and Departmental guidelines and has been the rule since CE commenced in 1994.

The aim of CE remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment and/or further education and training. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. The CE programme is one of a range of training and employment programmes available for unemployed persons. All of these programmes have specific objectives and eligibility criteria that address the specific needs of a wide range of participants.

Unemployed persons who are not in receipt of the required social welfare payments can still participate on many education and training programmes. Such persons are advised to contact their local Employment Services Office where an Employment Services Officer will be happy to discuss the employment and training options that are open to them. Within the current very difficult budgetary constraints, the number of places on Community Employment will remain at 23,300 in 2012.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person participating on a community employment scheme is required, on reaching their sixty-sixth birthday, to terminate their employment under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12167/12]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is a rule that requires a community employment scheme supervisor to cease their employment on reaching the age of 66 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12276/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 242 together.

The provisions of the Community Employment programme allow for funding by the Department of Social Protection of Community Employment (CE) Sponsors to employ participants and supervisors up to the last day of their 65th year, at which point the entitlement to a state pension becomes available. Consequently, funding from my Department for such participants ceases on their 66th birthday, in line with the aims and objectives of the programme under Government Labour Market Intervention policies.

For a person who has already reached 66 years of age, no funding would be available for the Sponsor to cover their wages. Additionally, CE was specifically set up as a labour market intervention with a defined target population, including long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups, to ultimately assist them to return to the labour market. Pensioners were not in the target population for this programme. It should be noted that Section 34(4) of the Employment Equality Acts, 1998-2002, provide: 'it shall not constitute discrimination on the age ground to fix different ages for retirement (whether voluntary or compulsory) of employees on any class or definition of employee'.