477. Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the community employment scheme launched in December 2015 (details supplied) on a pilot basis will be continued following the pilot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48044/17]

Following the publication, earlier this year, of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme - the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions of participation on CE. At the time of publication, it was also signalled that a review of the rules governing the participation of older people on schemes would take place and I expect this review to be completed in the coming weeks. In the interim, the pilot initiative which enables those aged 62 or over to extend their participation beyond the standard maximum participation limits, providing the CE eligibility conditions are met is still in operation. Participants are allowed to participate on a continuous basis up to the State Pension age, subject to satisfactory performance on the scheme and to annual approval by my Department. The places allocated for these participants within each individual CE scheme are limited to 7% of each scheme’s overall budgeted places. This pilot scheme is currently available nationwide.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.