Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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301. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which volunteering is promoted within social welfare offices here; if all social welfare officers are encouraged to promote volunteering as an option available to jobseekers and to make jobseekers aware of volunteering services available in their locality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41864/13]

Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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302. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if current internal guidelines in social welfare offices for the voluntary work option will be updated to ensure that no anomalies occur between deciding social welfare officers; if public guidelines will be updated to ensure that job seekers can clearly find eligibility criteria for the voluntary work programme and examples of suitable roles and acceptable levels of voluntary work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41868/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 302 together.

I am deeply conscious of the long tradition of volunteering in this country and the contribution that volunteering makes to Ireland’s social fabric. In recognition of the vital role played by the voluntary community, my Department operates a Voluntary Work Option scheme for customers on the Jobseeker schemes. Under these arrangements a Jobseeker customer may engage in voluntary work within the State without affecting their entitlements provided they continue to satisfy the statutory conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work.

The aims of the Voluntary Work Option are twofold, namely: i)- to encourage voluntary organisations to involve jobseekers to the greatest extent possible in their activities by creating new opportunities for voluntary work; and ii)- to inform jobseekers of their freedom to involve themselves in voluntary work and to encourage them to do so.

Examples of voluntary work in which jobseekers may engage include helping the sick, elderly or persons with a disability or assisting youth clubs, church groups, sports groups, cultural organisations and local resident associations. Voluntary groups may be locally or nationally organised and may include community groups.

Details of the Voluntary Work Option arrangements are published on the Department’s website and, in order to ensure that the profile is raised, all staff involved in the administration of the Jobseeker schemes were recently reminded of these arrangements and of the operational procedures under which they operate.