asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will explain her decision which requires voluntary community workers who are unemployed and in receipt of social welfare benefit to seek approval prior to any involvement in voluntary community work; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Voluntary Community Work.
226.
The purpose of the arrangements is to make it possible to unemployed persons to do voluntary work without affecting their unemployment payments. However, in order to continue to be entitled to these payments a person must still be available for paid employment as this is a statutory condition and the Department must satisfy itself that this condition continues to be satisfied. The Department must also be satisfied that the work involved is, in fact, of a voluntary nature.
For these reasons, the Department needs to know in advance the nature of the voluntary work and it requires confirmation from the voluntary organisation concerned. These arrangements are there to ensure that there will be no subsequent confusion or misunderstanding which might adversely affect the person's entitlement to unemployment payment. Hence the need to have these matters clarified in advance to avoid any possible interruption of payment which might otherwise arise as a result of the Department's day-to-day control and regulation of claims in payment.
The scheme is intended to be of benefit to unemployed persons by enabling them to retain or develop their skills or by providing them with the opportunity for preparing to re-enter the labour market. It should also be of considerable benefit to voluntary organisations and to the community generally. The arrangements referred to represent the minimum requirements considered necessary to safeguard the interests of the claimants and to meet the Department's responsibility in administering the schemes of unemployment payments.