Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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724. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exemption to the requirement to be unemployed for 12 months before being eligible for the community employment programme will be granted for those working in community and voluntary organisations to ensure adequate staff is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21997/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available. The scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment.

In order to qualify for CE, a number of conditions, including being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specific period, must be met. The focus of CE is on the cohort of long-term unemployed people and the programme is monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the schemes are meeting the needs of both the communities and CE participants.

The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. A number of new conditions were introduced on CE in July 2017 to further support progression and broaden access to CE to a wider range of people.

The recent Covid-19 emergency has resulted in a significant increase in the number of people on the Live Register which has resulted in increased pressure on the Department's employment and activation programmes. It is therefore essential that the Department continues to provide adequate training and development opportunities on CE schemes for those who are furthest removed from the labour market and most at risk of remaining long-term unemployed.

Places on CE will therefore continue to be available to support those who are long term unemployed while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme.

The Department has no plans to change the eligibility criteria of CE at this juncture.