Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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781. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there are any exceptions to the maximum time available to participants in the community employment scheme, that is, three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25849/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Cumulative lifetime participation on Community Employment (CE) by an individual is limited to:

- 3 cumulative years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age.

- 6 cumulative years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to state pension age (inclusive of any time spent on CE while aged under 55).

- Eligible persons in receipt of a CE-qualifying disability-linked social welfare payment will be eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation limits above.

- In addition, participants aged 62 or over and who are approved by the Department under the over 62s pilot stream are permitted to exceed the standard 6-year maximum limit of participation. They can remain on CE under this stream until they reach state pension age.

Previous time spent on CE prior to 3rd April 2000 is not counted and, in addition, offshore island residents are exempt from these participation limits, subject to the availability of places on island-based CE schemes.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.