Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021
256. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a community employment scheme placement will be extended for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48741/21]
View answerThe aim of the Community Employment ( CE ) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. Participation limits on these schemes are necessary to allow for the maximum utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons. It is important to note that participation is intended to be for a temporary fixed term and the positions offered are not full-time sustainable jobs. Instead, the placements are designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the open labour market.
In general, placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for one year. Those participants who are working towards a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) major award can seek to extend their participation on CE by up to two years to enable them to reach the required standard of qualification. Participants aged 55 years or older can remain on CE for three years and do not have to work towards a QQI major award. In both instances, a maximum of three consecutive year’s participation is permissible. A person may re-qualify for CE after a 12 month break once they satisfy the qualifying conditions. An overall lifetime limit of six years applies to all CE participants (seven years for those on a disability payment).
As time spent on CE for the person concerned is in excess of 3 consecutive years, they were due to finish their CE placement on 5th November 2021.However it has been decided that Community Employment participants who were due to leave their schemes on a phased basis from early November 2021 will now have their contracts extended until Friday, 4th February, 2022. They may re-qualify for CE after a 12 month break subject to them satisfying the qualifying conditions and they may then go on to complete an overall lifetime limit of six years.
When the person concerned leaves their CE placement the Department's Activation Service can work with them to ensure that the benefits and experience they received during their time on CE is maximised. This process will help identify potential employment opportunities and offer support to them in overcoming any barriers to employment.
