asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that there is a major anomaly in the social employment scheme whereby the long term unemployed on the lowest rate of benefit, receiving the same amount of money per week as they would if on assistance i.e. £30.90 are ineligible for the scheme; and, as this is part of the problem in the small take up of the scheme by the unemployed, if he will immediately review the eligibility criteria so to eliminate such anomalies.
Written Answers. - Social Employment Scheme.
726.
The social employment scheme was developed for the express purpose of enabling the large numbers of productive and energetic persons over 25 years who have been unemployed for an extended period — 12 months and over — to make a contribution to social and community development at a reasonable cost to the Exchequer.
Participation in the scheme is confined to those unemployed and in receipt of unemployment assistance. The inclusion in the scheme of unemployment benefit recipients, even though they may be unemployed for over a year, could leave the scheme open to abuse and deprive persons genuinely interested in participating of places in the scheme. The response to the scheme has been heartening and I am not aware of problems in recruiting persons for the scheme.