Vol. 426 No. 1
100 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will consider payment of the Christmas bonus to those on social employment schemes or any temporary works scheme particularly in cases where the recipient has dependants.
Participants on the social employment scheme are not paid a Christmas bonus. The level of payments to participants on the scheme is pitched above that to which such persons would be entitled had they remained on social welfare. This differential is intended to compensate participants for the loss of secondary benefits such as the Christmas bonus.
Special measures were introduced on a pilot basis in the 12 partnership areas established under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress to assist the long term unemployed in these areas. Persons participating in these special measures which include the community employment development programme which replaced the social employment scheme in the partnership areas, retain their secondary benefits including the Christmas bonus. The operation of these measures will be reviewed in due course to determine their effectiveness in assisting persons who are long term unemployed.
101 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if in view of the facts of a case (details supplied) regarding a caretaker in a school in Dublin 3, he will approve the person concerned for employment and payment under the social employment scheme as caretaker; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The social employment scheme is the principal manpower intervention aimed at assisting persons over 25 years of age who are long term unemployed. This targeting is reflected in the eligibility conditions for the scheme which specify participants must be in receipt of unemployment assistance, or in receipt of unemployment benefit for one year. Expenditure on the scheme is therefore part financed by savings in social welfare payments.
The eligibility of particular individuals to participate in the scheme is a day to day matter for FÁS.
