Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of the eligibility of participants on community employment schemes who are over 55 years of age; her plans to overturn the recent amendments preventing those over 55 years of age from remaining on a scheme for six years or more; if she will provide clear guidelines to those who administer these schemes, particularly on the subject of extensions, to avoid discrepancies in the use of discretion and to ensure that persons are retained within the community who provide a valuable contribution to it, given the pride they take in their participation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42538/15]

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 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 effect from 3 April 2000, lifetime participation on CE by an individual is limited to:

- 3 cumulative years for persons under 55 years of age.

- 6 cumulative years for persons of 55 years of age up to State Pension age (inclusive of any time spent on CE while under 55).

- Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked social welfare payment will be eligible for oneadditional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps, i.e. 4 years for those under 55 years of age (part-time Job Option only), and 7 years for those between 55 years of age and State Pension age (Part-time Job Option only).

- Participation on CE prior to 3 April 2000 is not counted.

These participation limits are strictly adhered to in order to maximise the utilisation of CE places. Part-time Integration Option participants, who qualify on the basis of being in continuous receipt of a social welfare payment for 12 months or more, can participate on CE for one year at a time and must leave and re-qualify in order to participate further (if they remain unemployed), subject to the participation caps outlined above. Part-time Job Option participants must be in continuous receipt of qualifying payments for a minimum of 3 years or more to participate for up to 3 years on annually renewable contracts if aged under 55, or 6 years if 55 or over.

The participation limits allow for the utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons, to ensure the benefit of the CE scheme is available to the widest possible number of jobseekers. The Department keeps all aspects of its activation programmes under review to ensure the best outcomes for participants.