Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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180. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend the time limits on the length of community employment schemes for those persons over 55 years of age so that they may continue working until retirement age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32947/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other vulnerable persons (including lone parents, recovering drug mis-users and persons with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis.

With respect to the participants exhausting their time on the programme, all community Employment (CE) sponsors and participants are aware of the time limits for participation, which are extensive for certain individuals particularly those over 55 years, who can already participate for up to 6 years on CE. The participation limits allow for the utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons, to ensure the benefit of the CE scheme to the widest possible number of jobseekers.