Michael Ring
Ceist:191 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the changes, if any, made in the students summer job scheme for 1999; and if students can take up other employment if they are on this scheme. [17136/99]
Written Answers. - Summer Jobs Scheme.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:198 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason his Department sought to penalise students participating in the student summer job scheme by preventing them from taking up other part-time work during their participation in the scheme. [16161/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 198 together.
The purpose of the students summer jobs scheme is to provide income support during the summer holiday period for less well-off third level students who are unable to obtain summer work and are disqualified from claiming unemployment assistance.
The focus of the scheme is on those students who are unable to get summer work and have no other means of support. For this reason, students are required not to undertake other part-time work while participating on the scheme. Students, are of course, free to take up work after participating on the scheme and many do so.
As in previous years, approved students are allowed to undertake up to 200 hours work on the scheme and earn £600. The scheme was revised in 1999 to exclude September from the period covered by the scheme and to limit to ten the number of students who can be taken on by any one sponsor.
The closing date for applications for this year's scheme was 25 June and at that date a total of 15,700 students had applied to take part.