Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to extend the timeframe that persons that are 62 years of age and over can spend on community employment schemes in view of the fact that such persons will exit the scheme before pension age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8311/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Currently there is a provision which allows Community Employment (CE) participants aged 62 or over to apply to extend their participation on CE beyond the standard participation time limits, providing the eligibility conditions of CE are met. Participants aged 62 or over are allowed to participate on a continuous basis up to the State Pension age, subject to satisfactory performance on the scheme and to annual approval by my Department. The places allocated for these participants within each individual CE scheme are limited to 7% of each scheme’s overall budgeted places. This provision is available nationwide. I am currently reviewing the rules governing this provision and I expect this review to be completed shortly.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.