Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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779. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the details of the new amended rules in respect of community employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32955/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Following the publication of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme – earlier in the year, the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions around participation on Community Employment (CE). The main purpose of these changes is to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and to standardise other conditions around the length of time a person can participate on the programme.

Following consultation workshops with stakeholders in every county in the country, I approved the implementation of these changes with effect from Monday 3rd July 2017.

The changes will see the general qualifying age for CE, for those on the live register, reduced from 25 to 21 years. It will now be easier for previous participants, who have exhausted their CE entitlement, to requalify as participation prior to the year 2007 will be disregarded. While participants between 21 and 55 years are entitled to one year on the programme, this can be extended by up to 2 more years if they are engaged in a recognised training or education award that is helping them progress towards employment. All CE participants age 55 and over can now avail of 3 consecutive years on a CE scheme. There will be an overall lifetime limit of 6 years from 2007 (or 7 years if on a disability payment).

In the coming months, we will be progressing the roll-out of the ‘two strand approach’ in terms of how places on CE schemes are categorised – activation and social inclusion.In addition, a review of the rules governing the participation of older people is being undertaken which will be finalised in the early autumn.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.