Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
758. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the uptake of places on community employment schemes by citizens who are single parents; her views on the impact on uptake of loss of secondary payment; her further views on the cost of associated child care and travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38255/12]
View answerThere are 3,279 persons under the Community Employment (CE) eligibility category One-parent Family Payment (OFP) at the end of August 2012. In January the figure was 4,539. There has been a drop in uptake for OFP clients on CE since the Budget changes in December. This reduction in take-up has been compensated by an increased take-up by persons on Jobseekers Allowance.
The Budget changes only affect those commencing CE on or after 16th January 2012. The change means that OFP clients can no longer retain their OFP payment and also simultaneously receive CE allowances. Instead they move to a CE allowance equivalent to their original OFP amount plus a €20 per week CE participation bonus. Those OFP clients already on CE as at 16th January retain their OFP payment in full and simultaneously receive a standard CE allowance of €208 per week in addition to their OFP amount. Once they exit CE, the double payment ceases.
Childcare allowances have never been a feature of Community Employment. Travel expenses are only paid for participants undergoing Department-approved training where travel costs are unavoidable. There is no provision to pay travel costs for participants on CE for attendance.
