John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he plans to make changes to the community employment scheme to encourage more participants into the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50773/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of Community Employment (CE) scheme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long-term unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their local communities on a temporary fixed term basis.

In addition to providing eligible people with valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment in the open-labour market, schemes such as CE also support important and, in many cases essential, local community services.

The OECD in a recently published review of the CE and Tús schemes found a positive impact on the employment and earnings of participants, especially for older participants on CE and younger participants on Tús. The review also found that participants are less likely to rely on disability payments and are more likely to find employment after their participation.

There are currently 19,557 participants and 1,219 Supervisors on 809 CE schemes. Government investment in CE will amount to nearly €370 million in 2025.

A number of changes have been introduced in recent times to support CE sponsors in their recruitment of participants, including;

A provision to allow CE participants who reach 60 years of age to remain in CE until they reach state pension age.

• Some flexibility granted to CE sponsors to retain existing participants for extended periods in cases where a replacement can’t be recruited immediately.
• Changes to eligibility criteria extending CE eligibility to the adult dependents of those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
• A new pilot scheme to extend CE eligibility to those over 50 years of age in receipt of credits or a combination of credits & Jobseekers Benefit.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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143. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans for increased flexibility in local community employment, TÚS, and rural social schemes to retain participants for longer when it benefits both the individual and the community. [50747/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Social Protection operates a number of employment support schemes for people on social welfare payments to assist them attain relevant skills and experience to secure sustainable employment and which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services.

Community Employment (CE) and Tús are employment activation measures designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The Rural Social scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.

A number of changes have been introduced in recent times to support CE sponsors in their recruitment of participants, including:

• A provision to allow CE participants who reach 60 years of age to remain in CE until they reach state pension age.
• Some flexibility granted to CE sponsors to retain existing participants for extended periods in cases where a replacement can’t be recruited immediately.
• Changes to eligibility criteria extending CE eligibility to the adult dependents of those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
• A new pilot scheme to extend CE eligibility to those over 50 years of age in receipt of credits or a combination of credits & Jobseekers Benefit.

• the provision of 3-year contracts to existing RSS participants from 1st April 2025;
• the RSS renewal process will be undertaken at 3 yearly intervals instead of the current annual review.
• existing RSS participants who reach age 60 will not be subject to any further review of means or circumstances until they exit the scheme at age 66. However, it is important to note that the onus continues to remain on all RSS participants to notify my Department of a change in their household circumstances that could affect their rate of payment.
• The Implementing Bodies have also been asked to explore options with people who are exiting the scheme to encourage them to participate as a volunteer within the company, in particular those who have reached 66 years.