Part-time Integration Option

Participation on the Part-time Integration Option is for 1 year. In certain limited circumstances a second year may be available, subject to DSP approval and the availability of places and budget.

Eligible persons under 55 years of age may be eligible for a maximum of 3 years overall participation on Community Employment (CE). Eligible persons of 55 or over may be eligible to a maximum of 6 years overall participation on CE. Persons in receipt of any of the 4 disability-linked Social Welfare payments (detailed below) may be eligible for 1 additional year's participation. Only time spent on CE since the 3rd April 2000 counts towards these participation limits. 

Eligibility criteria:

• Persons aged 25 years or over and who are currently in receipt of any combination of the following payments for 12 months or more:
• Jobseekers Benefit (JB, formerly Unemployment Benefit);
• Jobseekers Allowance (JA, formerly Unemployment Assistance);
• One Parent Family Payment (OPFP);
• Widows/Widowers Contributory Pension;
• Widows/Widowers Non-Contributory Pension;
• Deserted Wife's Benefit (DWB);
• Farm Assist (FA).
• Time spent in receipt of Carer's Allowance can also count towards the 12-month eligibility period, but caring responsibilities must have ceased and the person must currently be in receipt of either JA, JB or OPFP.
• If you are aged 18 years or over and are currently in receipt of any of the following payments from the Department of Social Protection (DSP):
• Disability Allowance;
• Blind Pension;
• Invalidity Pension (Note: you must have approval from the DSP to engage in employment of a rehabilitative nature);
• Illness Benefit for 6 months or more (Note: you must have approval from the DSP to engage in employment of a rehabilitative nature).
• Travellers aged 18 years or over, who are unemployed and in receipt of Jobseekers Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance for any period or One Parent Family Payment for 1 year or longer. In the case of travellers under 18 years of age, a minimum of 12 months spent in a Travellers Training Centre is enough for eligibility.
• All refugees aged 18 years or over, as authenticated by the Department of Justice and Equality, in receipt of payments from the Department of Social Protection.
• Persons aged 18 years or over inhabiting the offshore islands.
• Ex-offenders aged 18 years or over and referred by the Probation Service. Also, Ex-offenders aged 18 and over and not referred by the Probation Service and in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit for a period of one year or more. Time spent as a prisoner is regarded as reckonable when considering duration unemployed.
• Persons aged 18 years or over based on evidence of an appropriate referral following an appropriate assessment of the applicant in the context of the National Rehabilitation Framework protocols.
• Time spent on recognised training or employment programmes (such as a FÁS training course) can also be counted towards eligibility.

Please note that eligibility to participate on the Community Employment programme is linked to those in receipt of an Irish social welfare payment (where specified). Those persons not meeting the criteria under the Part-time Integration or Part-time Job Options, or who are signing for credits, or receiving social welfare benefits from a different country, are not eligible to participate on Community Employment. Note: For JA or JB recipients, a maximum of 30 worked days in the 12 months prior to commencing a Community Employment Scheme will be allowed in assessing eligibility.

Spousal Swap

If you are unemployed and qualify under the Jobseekers Assistance, Jobseekers Benefit or Farm Assist criteria detailed above but you yourself do not wish to join the Community Employment programme, you may be able to transfer eligibility to your spouse. Qualified Adult Dependents, aged 25 and over, of eligible persons (as defined by the Department of Social Protection) may avail of the Spousal Swap option. This involves the person and their dependent exchanging places, the dependent inheriting the age/entitlements of the person, and ensuring that no losses are incurred in their relative entitlements as a result of this exchange.

Re-Entry to Community Employment

For a person who has exited CE to be considered for re-entry to Community Employment, 12 months need to have elapsed since any previous participation and he/she must have been on the Live Register for that 12-month period. This is subject to availability of places and compliance with the CE participation time limits. Participants being re-engaged (rollovers) are excluded from this requirement of a 12-month break between projects.