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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 3

Written Answers. - Community Employment Scheme.

Mary Flaherty

Question:

71 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the extension of full PRSI cover to community employment scheme workers. [9660/95]

Community employment is administered by FÁS under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise and Employment. The programme promotes the provision of work for unemployed persons towards providing them with opportunities for personal and skills development. The programme replaced the social employment scheme, the community employment development programme and teamwork from March 1994.

Under the programme, part-time employment is provided in non-commercial socially desirable projects which are sponsored by, among others, local authorities and community groups. Participants must be aged 21 or over and in receipt of unemployment assistance or either unemployment benefit or lone parent's allowance for at least one year. Employment under the programme is normally limited to one year but may be extended depending on the nature of the work. No PRSI payment is required of the participant — while a reduced rate PRSI contribution is payable by employers in respect of this employment which covers participants in respect of occupational injuries benefit. Participants in community employment are awarded credited contributions in respect of each week of participation. These credited contributions ensure that a participant's social insurance record is protected in relation to qualification for future benefits and pension. Under the legislation, periods spent on FÁS courses, educational schemes and on community employment is disregarded in deciding a break in the claim. Where the claimant afterwards resumes his claim to UB or UA, entitlement is resumed as applied at the point where they departed that is they are entitled to the number of days UB unclaimed (390 less days paid) at the point they commenced the scheme-course or to resume payment of UA at the long term rate if they had previously been in receipt of the long term rate. In addition, participants continue to receive the secondary benefits to which they were entitled while on the live register.
To extend full rate PRSI cover to employees would substantially increase the costs of implementing the community employment programme which caters for some 40,000 persons a year and such a change is not being considered.
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