Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if sick pay is available to participants of community employment schemes if they take ill for a day or two while on a scheme and provide a doctor’s letter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14978/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Community Employment (CE) Operating Guidelines allow the grant aiding of participant wages by the Department to the CE Sponsor organisation/employer for up to 56 working hours of medically certified sick leave (the hourly equivalent of 7 full days). Only when that 56 hour threshold has been exhausted is grant aid for wages suspended for any further certified sick leave by that participant during the 52 weeks of their CE contract.

Parallel to the above is the provision of illness benefit which is available to any employee who is medically certified unfit for work for 4 or more consecutive days (the first three days of illness are always unpaid on this benefit). CE participants will not receive any illness benefit for any day they are in receipt of CE allowances while medically certified unfit for work, but if they are no longer receiving CE allowances due to exceeding the 56 hour limit, then illness benefit will be payable for any qualifying days sick.