Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a community employment scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [23716/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Community Employment (CE) Programme is a labour market intervention designed to assist the long term unemployed return to the work force. Persons eligible to apply should be aged 25 – 65 years who are unemployed for over 12 months and who are currently in receipt of one of the following payments from the Department of Social Protection:-

Jobseeker's Benefit (JB)

Jobseeker's Assistance (JA)

One-Parent Family payment (OFP)

Widows/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension

Widows/Widowers/Surviving Civil Partner's (Non Contributory) Pension

Deserted Wife's Benefit (DWB)

Farm Assist (FA)

To be eligible to participate on a community employment scheme, it is mandatory that all participants are currently in receipt of one of the above listed payments on their expected CE start date for a period of one year.

Furthermore, the following applies:

Persons availing of the Tús, Springboard or JobBridge programmes, or receiving Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) may not simultaneously participate on Community Employment (CE).

Persons engaged on the Tús, Springboard or JobBridge programmes, or receiving Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) may not avail of spousal swap option for CE (to allow their spouse on CE) for the duration of their own programme.

Time spent on Tús, Springboard, JobBridge or Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) will not count towards the qualifying period for eligibility to CE.

The person concerned was in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit from 6th February 2010 to 1st October 2010, a total of 33 weeks. To be eligible for CE, she would have to be currently in receipt of one of the payments listed above, for a total of 52 consecutive weeks. Time spent on the VTOS programme does not count as part of this qualifying period.

As she is currently not in receipt of any of the above payments, she does not meet the eligibility criteria to be considered for a place on a Community Employment Scheme.