Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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687. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the terms and conditions regarding eligibility for community employment; if a person can be removed from the scheme while on maternity leave as a result of their spouse commencing employment during their leave (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42948/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment, (CE) schemes are designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged people with an opportunity to engage in part-time work and training within their communities on a temporary, fixed-term basis. CE scheme participants are obliged to notify their employer immediately of any change in their family circumstances. This change could relate directly to the scheme participant or it could be that the circumstances of their adult dependant has changed (e.g. he or she finds or loses employment; receives or stops receiving a social welfare payment in their own right or is absent from the State etc.).

Most changes are straightforward and simply require the addition or cessation of the relevant dependant allowance. However, where the family income changes, the new rate of payment must be calculated to reflect what the person would be entitled to under their original social welfare payment arrangements. In order to remain eligible to participate in CE, the person must continue to fulfil the qualifying conditions of their underlying social welfare payment.

If the Deputy provides my office with the details of the particular case, I will have the matter examined.

I trust that clarifies the matters for the Deputy.