2012. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has changed the criteria in order that a person on a CE/TUS or RSS scheme can stay on it until they are 70, to comply with Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 (Bill 10 of 2025); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60966/26]

My Department provides a range of supports and programmes catering for the long term unemployed, those most distant from the labour market and low-income farmers and fishers. These supports include programmes such as Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).

In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed and income support, the schemes also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities.

CE and Tús are employment activation measures 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.

The RSS is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.

In response to the recommendations from the Commission on Pensions, a set of new pension measures were approved by Cabinet in September 2022. The set of reforms agreed include maintaining the State pension age at 66 and introduced a new flexible pension model, with effect from January 2024, whereby people have the option to continue working up until the age of 70 in return for a higher pension.

These measures are specifically for people in standard employment situations and do not apply to State supported schemes like CE/ Tús/RSS where the participant qualifies due to being on a specific social welfare payment in advance of their placement on the scheme.

Accordingly, the position regarding funding for CE /Tús/RSS participants remains as heretofore. Funding for participants will continue to be available to State Pension Age, which is currently 66. Should participants wish to continue to work after they reach 66, it is open to them to apply for positions that are not State funded.

The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 creates a new employment right that allows eligible employees to notify their employer that they do not consent to retire at the contractual retirement age if it is lower than the State pension age of 66.

Participants on CE/Tús/RSS can remain in work until they reach State pension age, which is age 66.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.