Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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297. To ask the Minister for Social Protection where a person is participating on a community employment scheme through the spousal swap mechanism to set out the number of additional hours paid employment per week that the person participating on the community employment scheme is entitled to work; the number of hours paid employment that the spouse who is not participating on the community employment scheme but who was the original recipient of the qualifying social welfare payment and who transferred eligibility to participate on the community employment scheme to the spouse is entitled to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16370/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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All Community Employment (CE) participants are encouraged to seek other work outside of CE, or engage in any other activity which would enhance their future work options, while on their time off the project. This does not affect their CE allowances for any part of the CE contract period. Payment for any such work is subject to normal PAYE/PRSI conditions but does not alter their PRSI status for their CE (CE-specific A8/A9 rate as applicable). However, where a participant is taking up paid employment they must check with the Department if there are any implications in relation to receipt of other DSP payments/secondary benefits etc. The maximum average working week under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 cannot exceed 48 hours, inclusive of the 19.5 hours working on CE.

A CE sponsor may, at their own expense, employ a CE participant for hours additional to the participant’s normal 19.5 CE hours, on the sole condition that the participant is not employed for more than an additional 234 hours in any given 12 month employment contract (approximately 4.5 hours per week if spread over the CE contract year). The sponsor must declare all such hours to the Department on a monthly basis.

The non-participating spouse of a person engaged on CE option is free to take up employment, but their income from this employment (which must be declared to the Department) will affect any adult dependant allowances their spouse receives for them on CE.