Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the policy changes she has initiated in respect of community employment schemes in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6948/16]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Responsibility for the Community Employment (CE) programme transferred to the Department of Social Protection in January 2012. Since then, significant improvements have been made to the operation and governance of CE. These improvements have taken place in the context of a changing profile of participants on CE in a challenging economic environment.

The following is a summary of the main policy changes initiated in relation to CE since that date:

- Cessation of dual payments (CE allowances and certain social welfare payments) for new entrants to CE from January 2012;

- 2,000 additional CE places made available in Budget 2013;

- Revised and streamlined participant referral process put in place. All referrals are now made through the Department’s Intreo offices (September 2014);

- Christmas Bonus reinstated for CE participants (from December 2014);

- CE Childcare (CEC) programme brought in to allow CE applicants requiring childcare provision to avail of a CE place (Budget 2014);

- Provision has been made on a pilot basis for persons aged 62 years of age and over to remain on CE until State Pension age if they have exhausted other activation options. (January 2016); and

- The minimum age limit for CE childcare places and health & social care-related places has been reduced to 21 years of age for those working directly with service users (February 2016).

The Department keeps the operations of CE under on-going review and, where necessary, it updates the programme to comply with legislation changes and Government policy, such as Pathways to Work.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection why some members of the public who are over 55 years of age have been granted extensions to their participation in community employment schemes while others who are also over 55 years of age have had their community employment schemes terminated, given that they believe this is below the five years that they expected when they signed up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6949/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The pattern of participation on the Community Employment (CE) programme is dependent on the individual circumstance of each person and the length of time she has been in receipt of a CE-qualifying social welfare payment. In general, cumulative lifetime participation on CE by an individual will be limited to:

- 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age; or

- 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to State Pension age.

This means that a CE-eligible person of 55 or over, who had not participated on CE prior to their 55th birthday, could potentially participate on CE up to the cumulative maximum of 6 years. However, if a person has already participated on CE when they were under 55, they can only avail of the balance of the CE time up to the cumulative maximum of 6 years participation, once they reach the age of 55.

The Deputy should note that I recently launched a pilot scheme under CE whereby people who are 62 years and over will have the option of participating on the scheme on a continuous basis, until they reach the State Pension age.

The participation limits that have been set allow for the utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons, to ensure the benefit of CE 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.

Any CE participant with a query regarding their participation duration can contact their local Intreo Office for further information.