Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 2

Written Answers. - Community Employment Scheme.

Seán Power

Question:

222 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the reason separated people, who receive a maintenance allowance from their spouse, are not eligible to take part in a community employment scheme or a FAS course, while people who receive a social welfare payment, such as separated wife's, lone parent's or prisoner's wife's allowance, can do so in view of the fact that the maintenance allowance can often be less than the social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6532/97]

Seamus Brennan

Question:

223 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment his views on the unforseen anomaly in the community employment scheme where persons in receipt of deserted wife's benefit are not eligible whereas recipients of the lone parent allowance are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6582/97]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together.

Limited resources do not make it possible to provide Community Employment (CE) for all long-term unemployed people. It is necessary, therefore, to target the programme at those most in need, such as persons in receipt of an unemployment compensation payment or persons in receipt of certain means tested social welfare payments. In line with this both men and women married or single who fulfil any of the following eligibility criteria can participate on CE:

CE Part-Time Integration Option

— 21 years or age or over and on unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance or one-parent family payment for at least 12 months.

— Special categories such as those referred by the NRB, or travellers on the live register, or on one-parent family payment for at least 12 months.

CE Part-Time Job Option

— 35 years of age or over and in receipt of unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit or one-parent family payment for three years or longer.

— Special categories such as those referred by the NRB who are aged 35 or over, or travellers who are on the live register or on one-parent family payment for at least 12 months.

In addition, persons with children who are in receipt of deserted wife's benefit or survivor's contributory pension can apply to transfer to one-parent family payment in order to become eligible to participate in CE. Also married unemployed people can swop their social welfare entitlement in order to qualify for participation on the programme. In this way, a married person who meets the eligibility criteria can transfer entitlement to his or her spouse, who is unemployed but not on the live register, in order for that person to qualify for participation on CE.

These eligibility criteria only came into effect last year following a detailed review of CE and in response to the recommendations of the task force on long-term unemployment. They were designed to target the programme at those priority groups already referred to. I have no plans at present to widen the eligibility criteria. However, I do of course keep all programmes under constant scrutiny in so far as their objectives and effectiveness are concerned.

With regard to FÁS mainstream training-specific skills training programmes I would point out that all unemployed people, including women in receipt of deserted wife's benefit or persons in receipt of a survivor's contributory pension, are eligible to participate in these programmes. Also from time to time FÁS offer return-to-work courses for women who wish to return to the workforce.