A number of people in County Kerry and throughout the country who were in receipt of long term unemployment benefit before joining social employment schemes will not qualify for the social welfare Christmas bonus. I am sure the Minister is aware of the anomaly in the system. It is inequitable that participants in similar schemes — for example, the community employment development programmes in depressed areas — qualify for the bonus. Participants on those schemes in one part of Kerry qualify for the bonus but participants on those schemes in non-depressed areas do not qualify for the bonus. That position is unfair.
The Christmas bonus should extend to all social employment scheme participants provided that, prior to participating in the scheme, they were in receipt of long term unemployment benefit. Participants in social employment schemes should retain secondary benefits including the Christmas bonus, fuel allowance, medical care and in the case of participants repaying loans, supplementary welfare benefit.
People lose their secondary benefits when they participate in social employment schemes. Those schemes are designed to give people an opportunity to work. Because of the unfairness in the system, people are discouraged from participating in social employment schemes. I would like the Minister to clarify a statement made by the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, Deputy O'Rourke, at a Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, that all participants in social employment schemes would receive the Christmas bonus.
Social employment schemes have provided work opportunities. Those schemes were welcomed by many people and valuable work has been carried out through them throughout the country. However, those schemes have a demotivating influence because participants do not qualify for the Christmas bonus. Many of the participants find themselves in unsuitable employment. In many cases they do not possess the skills for the work they are required to do as many of them were employed in different jobs previously. For example, people employed previously in clerical jobs are now required to do manual jobs. Many participants find it difficult to cope with the change in jobs and the fact that they do not qualify for the Christmas bonus is the demotivating factor. I appeal to the Minister to remove what I consider an anomaly in the system and to address the inequitable treatment of participants in those schemes. It may not be possible to address this matter at this stage but I ask the Minister to give a commitment to address it for next year.