Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 October 2020
202. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will remove the requirement for community scheme participants aged 55 years and over who have completed three years on the scheme to spend 12 months on a qualifying payment before reapplying for another community employment position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27816/20]
View answerThe Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
A number of changes were introduced to the eligibility criteria for CE in 2017 to broaden access to the CE programme to a greater number of people on the Live Register and to standardise the conditions around the length of time a person can remain on a CE scheme.
In general, participation on CE for those aged between 21 and 55 years is for 1 year; however those over 55 years of age can remain on CE for 3 years. An overall lifetime limit of 6 years applies to all CE participants (7 years for those who are in receipt of a disability payment).
As the Deputy has noted, a person may re-qualify for CE after 12 months of being in receipt of a qualifying payment, provided they have not reached their lifetime limit. CE participants that have completed 3 years on a CE scheme have had the benefit of 3 years work experience along with opportunities to complete training, all of which should enhance their potential to secure employment in the open labour market.
CE placements are temporary and subject to time limits. This ensures that there is adequate capacity on the CE scheme, within the financial allocation available to my Department, to facilitate other long-term jobseekers who want to avail of the valuable work experience and training opportunities provided by CE.
The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants while also delivering a range of important services in the local communities. The focus of CE is on the cohort of long-term unemployed people and the programme is monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the schemes are meeting the training and development needs of the CE participants and also delivering the intended services in the local communities.
Places on CE will continue to be available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme.
Where CE participants are not successful in securing open labour market employment following their exit from CE, they can avail of support and advice on the full range of services that are available to Jobseekers from a dedicated Case Officer in their local Intreo Centre.
The Department will continue to monitor all of its employment support schemes to ensure the quality of the services and supports provided. It is not the Department's intention to amend the CE guidelines or qualifying criteria at this particular time.
