Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

397. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a review will be carried out of community employment schemes with a focus on persons with a disability, given that it is currently not suitable for disability allowance recipients (details supplied). [56542/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long term unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities within their communities. CE schemes provide long-term unemployed and other groups, such as eligible persons in receipt of a disability allowance opportunities to provide vital services within local communities countrywide.

CE projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations. The department’s priority in funding and supporting CE is to provide job seekers and other groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support progression into open labour market employment.

CE participants do work part-time - on average 19.5 hours per week and receive a payment equivalent to their underlying social welfare scheme entitlement plus an allowance of €22.50 per week, with a minimum payment of €230.50 per week. Participants may receive increases in respect of a qualified adult and child dependents.

As part of Budget 2023, CE participants will receive an increase in weekly payments arising from the increase in core social welfare payments of €12 per week, in addition to the increase in the weekly CE allowance of €5; bringing the minimum payment for participants to €247.50 per week.

Therefore, CE can and does support participants with a disability work part time on CE. Currently there are some 800 people participating on CE schemes who came from a disability scheme background.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.