Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
1081. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if an increase in payment will be given to persons on community employment schemes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42410/22]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) 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. Participation on the scheme is part time - 19.5 hours per week.
The payment rates on CE are related to the underlying value of certain social protection payments plus €22.50 per week. In addition, a participant may be eligible for payments in respect of any qualified dependent adult and children.
If a CE participant's underlying payment (including dependents) is €208 a week or less, they receive the minimum CE weekly rate of €230.50, that is €208 plus the top up of €22.50. If a participant's underlying payment (including dependents) is €208 or more, then they receive the same rate as their social welfare payment plus €22.50.
CE participants can retain their medical card and can also retain any additional benefits they were entitled to on their underlying scheme prior to joining CE, for example Fuel Allowance, provided they continue to satisfy the qualifying conditions for those benefits.
CE participants can also work outside of the 19.5 hours that they participant on CE. The income from this employment does not affect their CE payment rate.
A number of Social Welfare payment increases took effect in January 2022 as part of measures introduced by Government in Budget 2022. All core social welfare weekly payments increased by €5. The weekly payments for qualified child dependents increased by €3 to €48 for children aged 12 or over and by €2 to €40 for children aged up to 12. Fuel Allowance, which is paid during the fuel season each year, was increased by €5 to €33 per week. These increases benefitted eligible CE participants.
Eligible CE participants in receipt of Fuel Allowance have also benefited from two payments, €125 and €100 respectively, this year.
I am fully committed to the future of this programme and will continue to support and improve the programme for the benefit of the CE participants in particular, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services. Any change to payment rates to participants on the scheme would have to be examined at Budget time, in line with budgetary priorities and commitments.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
